On Tue, 06 Apr 2004 13:21:33 -0700, Dave Smith
wrote:

I discussed this with my wife at lunch and she says clematis is what she
had in mind to go up those poles. We are zone 6 in Yakima if I am
reading the chart at
http://www.growit.com/bin/USDAZoneMaps.exe?MyState=WA correctly. So I
think we need some advice on what type of clematis as there appears to
be different kinds. Would we plant different kinds together next to the
pole and have them intertwine? is that possible?

Also, we still need suggestions for that barrier in front of the air
conditioner.

thanks again,

Dave

I love them.. I wanted to plant 30 or 40 of them around the yard, but
I don't have the space where they could climb without being overtaken
by the faster growing grape vines which grow around the perimeter of
most my yard, so I have a couple that survived a lot of neglect out
back, a Nelly Moser, and up front I have 3 out of 4 that survived
being tortured all last summer being in pots. I think I have pink
fantasy, snow queen and Henryii, and Ramona croaked. I have to put up
some supports, and because of how clematis support themselves I have
to pay attention to the size of the supplied material. Clematis grip
their support by clamping onto the support with the leaves on opposite
sides of the stems.. they don't twine like beans, or morning glories,
so I'm hoping I can get a lattice work that has large enough holes,
with narrow enough slats to allow them to pull themselves up onto.

They're just surrounded by tomato cages now. I would prefer to have
something more like a grid, but they only make those in 2' wide strips
for a lot of money and I need something wider, and cheaper since I'm
"po' folk" with my measly $867.28 a month income.. and I've lived on a
lot less so to me it still looks like a fair amount of money.. until I
start looking at grocery prices, even used car prices and worse,
pickup truck prices! I guess an "ok" job now is paying at least $1500
a month, a little better "ok" job I guess can be $3000 a month. Hooo
Boy, what I could do with $3,000 a month! LOL Anyway, I still want a
lot of clematis, but I'll wait until I get the ones I have supported,
and holes dug everywhere around here that I want to put stuff, THEN..
I'll call up the greenhouse and tell 'em what I want, let 'em get it
together so I can send someone else to pick it up. I can't do a whole
lot, so I have to pay what I can of my income to people to do the yard
work. Several hundred already this spring, but while I'm bummed I
don't have any money for several other things I want..I'm not as
bummed as I would be normally because a friend is doing the work and
she needs income, so it works for both of us.. when I can get her to
come over anyway ;-)

I want bunches of clematis, unfortunately, zoning laws keep me from
doing much of what I'd like to do.

Janice