Ideas for a deep terracotta pot

Latimer

Hi all,

I have this lovely big pot that currently has a couple of Clematis in it, Madam de bouchard on the right and Diamantina on the left. 

The Diamantina I inherited from my dad and it's not doing well at all in its second year in the pot. The Madam du Bouchard is doing ok though I'm not sure if it should be doing better!

I think the Diamantina should be replaced so would like some ideas of what to put in. The pot is up against ESE facing wall. 

I'd also like some ideas of perennials or evergreens to put in the front of the pot. I was thinking maybe a couple of Hebe?

Thanks in advance all.



Edit: should be Comtesse du Bouchard

Fairygirl

Never going to be enough room in there for two clematis, especially Group 2s and 3s 
They need planted a bit deeper than they were in the pots they came in. That helps promote new stems from below ground, however, if they were tiny plants when you got them, it would have been better to grow them on for a year first, to get them more established and sturdier. They both look terribly weak and spindly.

I'd leave one in there, and I wouldn't put much in the pot with them. They need a decent loam based soil if in pots, not just compost. A few annuals would be ok. You don't want anything taking away nutrients and water from a clematis. especially when it's a terracotta pot which soaks up valuable moisture. 

Latimer

Thanks @Fairygirl. 

Do you think I'm better off moving the C du B to somewhere else and planting a group 1 Clematis in the pot and the end of the season?

As you rightly point out, I didn't give that plant the best start, it was an impulse buy at the supermarket a couple of years ago and I had even less of an idea of what I was doing back then!

Fairygirl

The problem with the ones in supermarkets etc is - they are basically cuttings [slips is the correct term] and in the same way that you wouldn't plant out a small cutting of most plants so early on, it's the same principle with clematis. They need potted on and grown on for a while until they're of a decent size to thrive. When you buy from a recognised grower, the plants are at least a couple of years old, and have had the right care to get them to that stage.   
However, you could still have one of them in there. With the right medium, and cut back correctly, it should eventually thrive. I still wouldn't have much planting around it though - some saxifrages or a few annuals or similar, that are shallow rooted and won't mind being fed and watered excessively. 
The Group 1 clematis generally don't need the same conditions as the others. Most of those won't appreciate being planted deeper, and they don't need the same amount of feeding and watering. They prefer poorer conditions. Montanas won't thrive well in a pot long term, but the smaller ones are fine. If you wanted to get one of those smaller ones, that would be fine, but plant at the same depth as it is in the pot it comes in. 

Latimer

Thanks @Fairygirl.

I'll whip the other one out and see if I can improve the C du B. I did cut it back in the spring to the lowest buds but I think I hadn't done it correctly the first year so there's about 12-18" of bare stems at the bottom. I also dug in some Clematis feed around them.

I'll look at some annuals to add. 😊

Fairygirl

If the growing point is as the soil level in that pot, you can just add a bit more compost on top. The soil level's quite low. 
Hopefully it'll come on a bit more. 
As it's so near the house wall, just make sure it isn't in a bit of a rain shadow too. It's easy to think they're getting enough water when it rains, only to find out that the pot's getting missed ever time. 

Latimer

@Fairygirl, I already topped it up with a topsoil/mpc mix since I took the photo. I'll definitely keep an eye on the watering, I think I've been guilty of not watering it enough.

Latimer

@Fairygirl what about veg? Carrots and Swiss chard?