Gardening

TheReview

Wednesday, January 23,1991 — C6

Pruning time for late-flowering varieties of clematis

Just over a week ago I wrote that
column about all the snow. Now it
feels like spring, especially on a
day such as today when the sun is
shining. There is actually quite a
lot of heat in its rays, too...lovely!

We had another nice day this
past week, so beautiful in fact that
even “himself” was drawn out-
side, and before we had planned
anything at all, all sorts of garden-
ing things were happening!

First we had a look at the raised
beds. In those on the South side of
the house (which is a sea of mud
from dog traffic) it was somewhat
depressing to find that part of the
fall rye seed had not germinated.

This planting had been from
about two pounds of last year’s
seed I had kept over, thinking it
would still be viable. It obviously
wasn t.

Now I'll get some buckwheat
seed and plant it in the empty
sections, sometime in late Febru-
ary or early March when the soil
has warmed up slightly (weather
permitting, of course!). You need
some heat in the soil for the seed
to germinate.

To our horror we also discovered
that we had lost 13 of our 16
remaining beautiful fan-tailed
goldfish. Hard to believe that at
one time we had sixty in the pool.
These winters can be difficult!

‘You can always
remove more vine
later on, buf ifs just

impossible to re-

attach any!’

This time it was actually all my
fault. During fall and early winter
the pool should have been kept
free of rotting leaves, but some-
thing always seemed to keep me
from attending to it, and then came
the cold, and a thick covering of
IGE:

The fish were trapped in water
full of decomposing greenery,
which we now assume must have
used up almost all the oxygen. The
poor things had come up as close
to the top of the pool as possible,
and all of them were frozen into
the ice, perfectly preserved, but,
alas, very dead! I felt like a
murderer, and still do!

“himself” lifted these golden
bodies out of the pool, and then we
set about draining off about a
quarter of the water, and adding
fresh tap water.

We also, using the grease-spatter
cover from the kitchen, lifted out
as many partially decomposed
leaves and needles as we could
reach. Perhaps we can still save the
remaining lonesome trio.

During our tour we discovered
crocus peeking through the cold
earth, and a patch of snowdrop
foliage about two inches high.
(Lucy Whitehouse has a large
patch of snowdrops already in bud,
but she assures me they are an
early variety!).

‘Most of the blossoms on the
winter jasmine were frost blighted,
but I'll wait for a week or more
before pruning it back fairly sev-
erely. I didn’t prune it at all last
year, and cutting it back seems. to
encourage a sturdier, more com-
pact vine.

Talking about pruning, Bunty
Watt alerted me that this is the
time to attend to late flowering
varieties of clematis.

Clematis that flower in summer
only, should be pruned back hard
at this time. These plants, up to
three years old, should be cut back
to within six inches of the ground,
or to 2-3 buds.

Clematis that bloom in early

spring will be flowering on last
year’s growth, so only spindly,

badly tangled vines should be
removed now, leaving further
pruning until after flowering
ceases.

Bunty’s clematis is called
“Macropetala” and Sunset’s New
Western Garden book suggests
pruning lightly in February to
remove only weak shoots, and

limit vigorous growth to sound
wood. (Sounds a bit technical)
doesn’t it?). Further pruning on
this variety should take place after
blooming has finished.

I shall go out right now and
prune our two-year-old Jackmanii
back to the recommended three
growth buds, and then whip
around the side of the house and
attack the grapevine!

Bunty said she had found

growth buds well advanced on her
vine, in spite of our recent misera-
bly cold weather. Please make sure
your secateurs are nice and sharp
before you start this job, and do
remember to be gentle rather than
ruthless.

You can always remove more
vine later on, but it’s just impossi-
ble to re-attach any you now have,
in your wild enthusiasm, nipped
off! Ah me, I’ve done it too!

DISTRICT OF NORTH SAANICH

PUBLIC MEETING

LANDS END/TRYON/PAT BAY HIGHWAY INTERSECTION

Representatives from the Ministry of Transportation
and Highways and the B.C. Ferry Corporation will
attend a North Saanich Committee Meeting on
MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 1991 AT 7:30 PM. in the
North Saanich Council Chambers to discuss the

proposed interchange.

The public is welcome to attend.

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