Why not plant some colorful, exotic climbers?
Every gardener should have at least one or more gorgeous climbers somewhere in their garden. The myriad of beautiful flowering climbers available today offers gardeners a superb variety of these delightful, versatile plants to choose from. If you wish to plant the varieties that hummers will flock to, be careful to choose those having blossoms rich in nectar to please their picky appetites. Remember, nectar is the primary food source for all hummers!
Clematis "jackmanii"
One of my favorite climbers is the lovely Clematis jackmanii. Especially since I've finally grown one or two successfully and they have actually bloomed! I love the rich purple colored flowers of this variety -- and so do the hummers! This variety is an older hybrid that produces 4 to 5 inch blossoms having four sepals. It usually blooms from mid-July through August here in USDA Zone 6. This species freezes to the ground during the cold winters in our area, and I leave the frozen vines under their blanket of snow until spring arrives. In early spring, I remove the dead vines, then prune them severely as soon as new buds begin to form. Since this clematis always flowers on new wood, pruning in the spring is appropriate.
When looking for a suitable place to plant my new clematis several years ago, I knew that location was important. My jackmanii is now growing happily in the semi-shaded corner of my backyard flowerbed. As shown in this recent photo, it has bloomed quite profusely this year.
When planting clematis, you need be aware that they like to have their roots in the shade, yet their vines need to be in the sun. Since this corner met both of these requirements, I decided this would be the perfect home for it.
When its tender new vines and leaves appeared early this spring after our winter snow melted, it began to grow very vigorously, and I knew it would need a good support. So I simply nailed two white trellises onto the tall 4X4 treated pole which is the permanent pedestal for my large birdhouse condominium, along with two smaller ones. My clematis LOVES it in this corner, and its blossoms even blend with the color of the birdhouses--a totally unplanned coincidence!
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