I garden in zone 7a or 7b, depending on whom you ask, and grow several in containers that are in full sun all day long. I go for as big a container as I can get and the plants have survived just fine and prospered. My pots are probably 2 to 2 1/2 feet tall and 1.5 feet wide (would have to go out and measure them to be certain). Clematis can take the heat as long as they are provided with water consistently. It would also be good to know which types of clematis you are planning on planting in the containers as some can get quite large and are not recommended for pot culture.

Here is a picture showing one of my pots with another off to the left.

{{gwi:580527}}

Thank you for your input.
Well if it can take it in your sun it should be fine in mine. I think my morning glory problem may have been that they were planted in a old fashion wash tub made of metal and perhaps the metal attracted too much sun ...I am not sure which clem yet, maybe jackmanii? I have a few type 2's that I could relocate but I figure a type 3 I could just chop off in the fall.

In my opinion, a Jackmanii isn't your best choice as it can be temperamental in it's early years. I'd go with something from this list:

http://www.clematis.com.pl/wms/wmsg.php/1214717.html

A metal container sure would heat up fast and might not be a good choice for a material.

Funny you should say that Jackmanii is temperamental. In both previous houses I had, long before I knew much about clematis, I had Jackmaniis and I never had any issues with them at all.

I've read that others having problems with Jackmanii wilting in the first few years. Mine did it's first 2 years.

Warning: Jackmanii lovers don't read further ;-)

It isn't my favorite clematis. One of the main reasons is that you see it all over the place, un-pinched, against a wall, looking like a giant purple lolly pop. While it may be a prolific bloomer, it is also a vigorous grower, which might not make it the best choice for container culture.

I think it's sturdiness and legginess would be better suited to grow on a trellis, through a shrub or up a small tree.

Definitely not a wilter for me in the two houses previously where I had it. I still love it and can't fault it simply because others don't know how to grow or prune it properly. That is the growers issue and not the plant's. I do agree however that unless you have a huge container, it probably isn't one of the choices for a container.

Even with proper care and pruning, some people have experienced problems with Jackmanii in it's early years.

Some have and some haven't. I bet the same could be said of most clematis.

I've wondered about this very issue. Any clematis with lanuginosa blood wilts for me until established (or dead), Jackmanii included. It took 3 seasons for it to get established, meaning to grow a single vine and not wilt away. It's fine now, though other lanuginosas don't always make it (Jackmanii's daughter, Gipsy Queen, never made it, all 3 of them).

Who knows why. Lanuginosa is the wilting king, no doubt, but why in my garden and not others'?

For your pot, you might want to go with a plastic or plastic-hybrid pot that doesn't transpire, keeping more water in that way. There are many out there that are plastic/foam hybrids that look decent. And I'd go for a light colored once as well. I can't imagine why this wouldn't work if you kept the pot well-watered. If Miguel in his zone 7 can do it, z5 in Nova Scotia should be much easier (to keep a pot well-watered).

Michael, I think it is the variable nature of any gardening plant. Some people have no issues with some plants while in other gardens, the very same plant is deluged with issues. Solving that question would make someone a very rich person!

Interesting, Michael. I have three with Lanuginosa blood lines. Jackmanii, Jackmanii Superba and Henryi. All three have grown the same. One stem comes up then eventually wilts.

Searching on CotW for Lanuginosa parentage brings up 102 clematis. Many of them, as CotW puts it, are "lost from cultivation". Makes me wonder.

Perhaps that is partly due to Lanuginosa originating from a sub-tropical monsoon climate. Maybe the growing season in most of the northern tier is too short, the winters too long, and overall, a lot dryer. I don't know, but based on what you said, and doing a little further research, those clematis with Lanuginosa blood lines might not be the best choices for those of us who don't have room for a lot for experimentation.