In message , Tom Bennett
writes
"Chris Boulby" wrote
snip
The only problem I find with the advice in your last para above is that
they generally put on the growth that needs to be checked later in the
season, more so that just after flowering. I'm afraid I have to cut it
back again and again to keep it in its place during the summer, and I
know I risk losing flowers, but when they get really big, it has to be
done. I've got several triffids here, and they must be cut back almost
weekly in the summer if I'm not to find everything else entangled in
their tendrils :-)

Morning, Chris,

I understand the problem well: The montanas can be brutes, particularly
in confined spaces, and there's no reason why they shouldn't be cut back
in the autumn if you need to restrict them. Generally, the alpinas and
macropetalas are less vigorous, but I have know these get out of hand too,
over a period of years.

Incidentally, for those who like montanas but don't have too much space to
spare, I've found C. montana 'Freda' is a good bet. It has a much
stronger colour than most of the pink montanas and tends to be less
rampant (though no less healthy). It's been around for a few years now.


- Tom.
Good evening Tom,

I can't log on daytime, no broadband here I fear :-( But I can go on
and on about clematis I'm afraid. After diascias they are my
favourites.

I hack the montanas back as often as I can remember to do so, even as
late as October last year and I expect I will still get some bloom.
Silly me, planted *three* montanas (reubens, 'Elizabeth' and an unnamed
white flowered on I begged from someone as a cutting) on a fence about
14ft long all together in 1996 and they are all now monstrous. Course,
planting a few dead fish that my mother had caught floating on top of a
pond she was fishing in, under them when I first planted them probably
meant they romped away more than they might otherwise have done. I keep
saying I'm going to cut back to the main stem which is now (8 years
later) about 2 inches thick. Bet I'd face the same problem though in a
year or so, and it would also mean buying more plastic trellis because
they are hopelessly intertwined in them now. And to top it all off I
have Codonopsis clematidea in there too, plus the prolific Tropaeolum
ciliatum. Its a right mix up. I think I'm going to dig out the
Codonopsis though, can't stand the skunk smell!

I have a C. alpina 'Frances Revis' that does get quite big nowadays, its
been in its location for 9 years. I generally tie this in tight with a
pair of tights at this time of year and still get a marvellous bloom
from it - and it lasts for such a long time too. To add to your
recommendation of C. montana 'Freda' I'd add C. montana var. reubens
'Broughton Star' which is also much better behaved than some of the
older varieties. I love the leaves on Broughton Star too.

I'm nuts about clematis though, even though many of the large flowered
hybrids struggle to do well here. The species love my slightly acid,
well drained, sandy soil.
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias