Flowering vines are a gardener’s secret weapon—especially when you run out of horizonal gardening space. If you have a small garden space and you still crave more plants, the answer is as simple as vertical gardening with flowering vines. Even if you still have horizontal growing space, vines reaching heavenward add another dimension to your landscape. There’s something magical about a clear blue sky behind masses of white blooms on classic morning glory vine. Or, fluffy white clouds floating behind cascades of lavender-blue flowers on a blooming wisteria. Even misty rain filling the tubular orange flowers on trumpet vine can make you smile and feel good. Flowering vines give a garden an appealing romantic look. They tease you to come hither and entangle your thoughts and emotions with them. They curl and wind their way around trellises and arbors and across the tops of fences. Some flowering vines even tantalize you with their sweet smells. Most vines are heavy and … [Read more...] about Best Flowering Vines for Vertical Gardening
clematis
How to Fertilize Clematis (and other flowering plants)
When I first started growing clematis plants and was learning about how to fertilize clematis, I learned about the N-P-K numbers found on plant fertilizer packages. N-P-K is short for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. These are the primary components of plant fertilizer, and the numbers are always listed in N-P-K order. For example, the numbers 10-10-10 might be prominently listed on a fertilizer bag. The fertilizer numbers represent the percentages of each primary nutrient in the fertilizer. A 10-10-10 fertilizer contains 10% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 10% potassium. I learned that these numbers could be interpreted as Up, Down, All Around. Up referred to plant foliage Down referred to plant roots All Around meant plant vigor and strength As I became experienced in growing clematis, I gained a mentor in Holland named Ton Hannink. Ton is a retired clematis expert who now devotes his time to clematis breeding and collecting. Way before the “blossom booster” … [Read more...] about How to Fertilize Clematis (and other flowering plants)
Debunking Clematis Myths
There are plenty of clematis myths that need debunking. That’s because clematis, known as “The Queen of the Vines,” is actually easier to grow than most people think. Despite the profusion of flowers that a clematis plant produces, many gardeners think these wonderful plants are difficult to grow. According to clematis expert Deborah Hardwick, clematis has gotten a bad rap. “There are so many myths about clematis, and most of them simply aren’t true,” said Hardwick. “Clematis aren’t much different than other plants in that they need to be treated with a little care to get them established in a new garden setting. But give them moist soil, light fertilizer and enough light and they will reward gardeners with a flower show that few plants can match.” Please remember that the majority of clematis plants are vines, so to perform and look their best they need to climb up a sturdy Arbor or Trellis. A clematis in full bloom can be the perfect focal point in a garden. So, placing a … [Read more...] about Debunking Clematis Myths
2020 Green Thumb Awards Honor New Plants and Garden Products
The winners of the 2020 Green Thumb Awards have been announced, and a total of six new plants and products have taken home the “green” trophy. Here are this year’s winners: Clematis ‘Lady Kyoko’ from Spring Hill Nurseries European Beech InstantHedge from InstantHedge KangaRhu Rhubarb from Gurneys Seed Treasure Island Sweet Potatoes from Concept Plants Garden Tutor Online Course and Kit from Botaniworld Vertex Wall Trellis from Gardener’s Supply Company The DGA Green Thumb Awards are presented by the Direct Gardening Association (DirectGardeningAssociation.com), a trade group of companies that sell gardening plants and products through catalogs and websites. Winners of the 2020 Green Thumb Awards were chosen by independent judges. 2020 Green Thumb Award Winners: Ornamental Plants and Seeds Division Clematis ‘Lady Kyoko’ (Clematis x ‘Lady Kyoko’) Spring Hill Nurseries Clematis ‘Lady Kyoko’ is a variety that … [Read more...] about 2020 Green Thumb Awards Honor New Plants and Garden Products
