244 MY GARDEN 



ence in my own garden and observation in a great many 

 gardens both here and in Great Britain. 



The soil best enjoyed by the Clematis is light and 

 rich, and of a loamy texture, with the addition of some 

 chalk or lime. Good drainage is essential, but that in 

 our country is not the problem that it is in England. 

 An annual dose of well-rotted cow manure is needed by 

 the large-flowered hybrids, and all sorts appreciate a 

 warm blanket in the winter, not because they are tender 

 so much as that the extra nourishment thus procured 

 is beneficial and relieves the plants of the strain of 

 our extreme cold. A mulch of stable litter is gratefully 

 received after spring planting; this conserves the mois- 

 ture until the plants are established and the roots go 

 deep enough to avoid the heat of the sun. When growth 

 starts in the spring the tender young shoots should be 

 carefully looked after and gently tied to some support, 

 for they are very brittle and easily injured, and as it is 

 upon these shoots that many of the sorts bear their 

 bloom they merit extra care. It has been discovered 

 that some shade for the lower stems of the Clematis vine 

 is essential to its well-being, and so it may well be 

 planted at the back of herbaceous borders, to climb the 

 wall or fence, or trail over the hedge, or be supported on 

 tall pea-brush. 



But even with all these precautions and attentions 

 the large-flowered Clematis will often "up and die on- 

 grateful," and the reason for this, Mr. William Robinson 



