Clematis

Quickly becoming one of the most popular vines in the country, hybrid clematis has good reason for its recent stardom. This perennial vine climbs a manageable 8 to 12 feet and produces showy, large flowers in purple, white, pink, red, and blue that range in size from just a few inches to as large as a dinner plate, depending on the cultivar. Even the ripened flower heads are pretty, creating lovely silky whirls after the blooms are gone.

4 to 8

Needs rich, well-drained soil with plentiful moisture. Needs at least 6 hours of direct sun a day, but roots like shade, so mulch or plant annuals or perennials at the vine's base. The motto with hybrid clematis is: They like their heads in the sun and their feet in the shade.

Choose only healthy-looking plants. Dried-out or sickly-looking plants will not do well. Provide a sturdy support as tall as the mature height of the clematis for it to weave through, such as latticework or wire. Plant well-rooted container or bareroot plants in spring, working plenty of compost into the soil. Position crown an inch or two deeper than it was in any container to promote better branching. Then trim a few inches off the ends of the stems to further promote all-important branching. As it grows, loosely tie the clematis to its support. Strips of pantyhose are ideal for this. Mulch to conserve moisture and keep roots cool, which is also important.

Fertilize each spring with a slow-release fertilizer. Deadhead as desired. It prolongs blooming but will prevent the formation of the lovely whirly seedpods.