An award-winning clematis, this perennial vine is free flowering with 6- to 8-inch, rich and luminous, crimson flowers with a central cluster of 6 to 8 dark anthers, usually overlapping at the base. Young flowers bloom crisp and star-shaped, but as they age, they grow big and billowy. Summer flowering, it blooms June to July and again in September, but more established plants tend to flower almost continuously from early summer to early autumn. The flowers last longer and have better color if they are partially shaded from the hottest afternoon sun, especially in warmer climates.
The plant is cold hardy (to Zone 4) and very vigorous; however, it tops out at 10 feet high and 2 feet wide and can be easily managed, so it can even be grown in a large container. It's lovely growing on a climbing rose, nimbly vining around the sturdy canes, flowering just as the rose blooms begin to wane. The plant attracts hummingbirds but repels deer and rabbits.
Uses: Containers, Trellis, Specimen Plant
A Tradition of Distinction
Since its founding in 1920, Wayside Gardens has brought the rarest and highest-quality plants to the garden market. Wayside was founded in 1920 by two acclaimed growers who came together to pursue their shared vision of marketing all high-end plants for the serious garden enthusiast. Originally located in Mentor, Ohio, Wayside Gardens swiftly grew a reputation for the highest-quality plants and the most sophisticated clientele. In 1975, Wayside was purchased by the Park Seed Company, and moved to Hodges, SC. The company has flourished since then, growing to become an undisputed leader in rare and unique plant growing.
Unparalleled Selection
Wayside's horticulturists travel the world in search of new and unusual plant cultivars and proudly offer the garden industry’s most sophisticated selection of high quality and rare perennial plants, bulbs, trees, shrubs, roses, vines, and indoor plants. Beginning with ties to the Dutch family bulb business in Holland, our horticulturists have developed close relationships with perennial and bulb growers throughout the United States and Europe, providing access to many rare and unique garden treasures. Throughout our history we have had the pleasure of introducing numerous exotic foreign and domestic plant cultivars to the American garden market. The Wayside collection of new and exclusive plant products is so preeminent that the catalog has long been lauded in the industry and is even used as a reference work in horticultural schools.
Impeccable Quality and Value – We Guarantee It!
At Wayside Gardens, “pedigreed plants” and “root strength” have always been watchwords. The Wayside Gardens impeccable plant quality begins with selecting only the finest new product offerings with improved plant features and numerous advantages for our gardening customers. These improved plant selections are then grown to our exacting quality standards by garden industry professionals. This produces superior plants with well developed root systems and healthy, vigorous plant growth habits. That is why we proudly guarantee all Wayside Gardens' products to perform as advertised, being of superior quality, true to type, and shipped properly.
Larger Containers & Well Established Root Systems
We use larger containers and grow bigger plants than other nurseries, leading to greater root strength. Where appropriate, Wayside Gardens propagates our plants vegetatively rather than from seed, to ensure the plants possess the correct form and are true to variety, like a true double form, as opposed to the single or semi-double forms that may result from seed propagation. Because we employ only the finest and most technologically advanced plant growing methods, you can be confident in receiving healthy plants ready to burst forth in glorious growth in your garden.
Superlative Service
- Unique, well-established and vigorous growing plants offer greater value for your money than other nurseries.
- Dedicated to providing detailed plant care instruction and informative plant information to make your product selection and planting truly enjoyable.
- Trained horticulturists are on-call to offer you any help or advice you need on how to care for your plants.
- All Wayside plants are carefully packaged to ensure a safe arrival.
- Your plants will be shipped to you at the proper time for planting.
- Honored to be your first choice in horticulture.
- If your item has received our recommended care and still doesn't perform to your satisfaction, we will replace it free of charge or credit you the item’s cost.
- Wayside Gardens is committed to helping you make your gardening an exquisite experience.
As the deer population has boomed and
food has become scarcer, they have become more aggressive. In some areas deer will
strip your garden bare, leaving nothing green or flowery behind. While there is no such thing as a completely deer-proof garden, there
are some effective things you can do to protect your garden from these
hungry animals.
Use physical barriers
A High Fence
Deer can jump pretty high, but a fence higher than eight feet (higher on an up-slope) and
flush with the ground will keep any deer out.
Electric Fences
They are a much easier and less expensive solution. Deer generally
will not try to jump electric fences, but will rather try to climb
through the wires, receiving a deterring shock.
Bird-Netting
An even less extreme
physical option is to put bird netting over your larger and more
susceptible plants.
Herbs, some conifers, and many flowers
are some of the best
deer-resistant plants. More fragrant plants will often deter predation. Planting just a few
deer-resistant plants will limit grazing of your other plants. Remember, "
deer-resistant" does not mean deer-proof. A hungry animal will eat just about anything.
Having a dog In the Family
Owning a dog, especially a big dog will almost always keep deer from approaching your home. Just the scent of the dog will keep most deer away, and if your dog lives outside you will probably never see any deer.
For most gardeners, it is a combination of different solutions that works best. Every gardener has to find the solution that works best in their garden.
The Big-Flowered Summer Bloomers
Masses of frilly star-shaped blooms; big white snowflakes that blanket
the garden twice a season; true-blue color for 4 solid months. The big-flowered, double, and otherwise showy Clematis varieties are among the very best for the garden, and you can master the annual pruning technique in about 3 minutes. First, make sure you've already done the special first- and second-year pruning. Then just maintain your Clematis's beauty as follows:
Group 2 Clematis blooms on "old wood," which simply means stems that grew last season or earlier. (This season's new stems — the ones that grow from spring till the summer bloom season begins — won't flower until next year.) Therefore, you don't want to prune too radically. The rule of thumb is that in late winter or earliest spring, cut back each stem about 6 to 8 inches, to right above the point where it branches. At this branching point, you should see a pair of little bumps. These are buds, and you want to keep them. Find all the branching stems on the Clematis and trim to just above those buds. (You may have read in gardening manuals: "Trim to a pair of strong buds." That's what this process is — the two buds right above the place where each stem branches are the "pair of strong buds" you're looking for! They're easy to see on the slender Clematis stems.)
Once you know your Clematis's pruning number and get that first-year trim out of the way, keeping this woody climber looking its best and blooming like crazy is simple! A few minutes once a year will yield you armloads of flowers for many seasons, and you will continue to find new uses for Clematis, from hiding an unsightly fence to decorating your most formal garden art!
