Does anyone have any experience of growing Clematis armandii in a pot? I have a courtyard garden with a large bare wall. The ground in front of the wall is a hard standing so the only option is a large pot. Will it grow well in a pot. Other suggestions welcome.
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Armandii is an absolute thug! It is only attractive when young. Once it grows to any height (this can be as high as a house - I kid you not) the leaves become large, tough and very unattractive as they age. The flowers (which are beautiful) only appear at the top, but in profusion. Ours grew to the top and along a huge conifer hedge and we had to strain to see them. It is evergreen but sheds old leaves everywhere.
I do know someone who has been growing two of them over the front door for a number of years, but they keep replacing them as they become unattractive or die in the winter - can't see the point really as there are so many better climbers
Sorry about all that lol!
Plenty of clematis varieties will be fine in a decent pot, but bear in mind they're totally dependent on you for all their needs. They need plenty of moisture if planted in pots, especially in hot, dry or windy conditions, good drainage and the right food, so make sure you can give them what they need to have success.
Take a look at Taylor's Clematis online site - you can then choose according to the conditions in your own garden.
For clarification: my courtyard is big and used to be a farmyard, hence the hardstanding, which is why it needs to be grown in a pot. I do want something evergreen on the barn wall as it can look a bit bleak in winter. I am open to suggestions including other than clematis. Are there other evergreen clematis'?
Aym: if after a few years it becomes as you describe, can't you just cut it back? I can cope with as high as a house and the wall is big, maybe 3 m high x 25m long.
That's a slightly different situation then Redwing
If you need something to clothe a large area, and don't have ground to plant into, I'd suggest making a raised bed of a decent size to give your chosen climber a chance. Simply trying to contain a vigorous grower rarely works as the plant can't get roots out as well as down. Constricting roots usually constricts the top growth as well.
Bear in mind that your own conditions will have an effect on the amount of growth too. Like any plant, what grows well in a southern, warm sheltered position, won't grow the same in a more exposed, colder one.
I will research Clematis Nepaulensis, Aym. I take the point about the trough...haha, made me laugh. I am in Sussex and the wall is west facing but the base of the wall is in shade due to another wall on the south side.
I also should have clarified that you'll need to break the concrete up sufficiently for drainage Redwing. My raised beds are done with heavy duty fencing timber attached to short posts (concreted into the ground) They're in various heights and depths to accomodate the angled boundary fence and the sloping ground
Bamboo doesn't generally do well in pots either. For the same reason as strong growing climbers and shrubs, and let loose it's a nightmare in the right conditions.
Fairgirl: we are not going to break up the base...husband has said no more concrete breaking! So.......whatever I decide it has to be in a pot. Here is a picture of the barn wall and courtyard. You can see it is a little bare. This is the newly planted bit taken in August and it is even more barren now in February so you can see why I want something evergreen for the winter months. I have not added a pic before; I hope it works.
Aym: I am not keen on bamboo and don't think it would fit with the Mediterannean garden I am aiming for.
Thanks everyone for all the interest and advice.
What an interesting plant clematis Nepaulensis sounds!....dormant in summer; how weird.