Theresa's Garden
I planted this clematis in 2002 after having had no luck with other clematis I'd planted in the past. Could never seem to get them to live past a month or so. With this particular one, I made sure it would be shaded during the hottest part of the day by planting it on the side of a climbing rose. I mulched the roots heavily and made sure I watered it quite often during its first season in the ground. I also applied Wal Mart's equivalent to Miracle Gro fairly often. March 2003 saw this plant taking off with a vengeance and the first bud appeared early April. By mid-April 2003, this bloom was open and I know now the extra effort was well worth it.
Below is Zephirine Drouhin climbing rose bloom
This rose was planted in spring of 2002 and grew quite vigorously. I have it planted on the North side of my house, right beside the side entry that we use most often. It gets shade for most of the day and I'd read that these particular roses do well in the shade. I had no blooms in 2002 but had expected none. There were several buds by late March 2003 and as of mid-April there are several blooms on this fragrant climber. I did cut the canes back right after Valentine's Day 2003. I water regularly and use my Wal Mart knockoff of Miracle Gro. I also used a systemic product to help get rid of bugs as I saw several hairy caterpillars on the stems in early April. Since a few days after using this product, I've seen no sign of the worms and the blooms are breathtaking. The fragrance is intoxicating which is the reason I planted it at our entryway.
