My 'Cassis' from Chalk Hill also shows no signs of life. I have not dumped the pot out yet though.

'Bettina' also shows no signs of life.

'Mary Rose' has one sprout less than six inches long, so does 'Rosa Konigskind'

'Lady Gray' and 'Tie Dye' have several sprouts about six inches long.

I'm wrong, we had some sunny days and 'Lady Gray' and 'Tie Dye' are about a foot tall, or were before I pinched them.

Great! I wonder what is wrong with their 'Cassis' plants. Still hoping that my ÂKing George VÂ and 'Tango' will wake up...

Cassis I purchased from Wayside Gardens/Park Seed couple years ago was DOA so I'm not having an easy time with it.

BorS, please post here if your dormant Clems from CH will wake up. Really curious what we will end up with....

I also ordered sixteen clematises and I've planted eight of them. They all had good roots and were at least a foot tall. Five are showing life but are still too small to put in the ground, and three of them are not showing any signs of life at all so far. Unfortunately, 'Sialia' and 'Mary Rose' are among those three - these two are ones I've really been looking forward to seeing, and I can't find them for sale anywhere else, so I'm praying everyday. :)

Alina, please post some pictures when your 'Sialia' has bloomed! I'm very anxious to see them!

As to montana 'Margaret Jones,' mine is still small and leafing out from old stems. I have attached some pictures, I hope that they will help.

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Hi Peppa,
Thanks for posting those pictures! My mysterious sprouts have the same shape, but they are still about 1" tall and still red! I hope they will grow up a little so I will be able to compare them with your pictures... Do not want to dig the poor thing up to find out...
I will post the 'Sialia' pictures in bloom. Hope your 'Sialia' will wake up...

Most of my perrenials come up from the dirt looking "red". It only takes a few days for the foliage to turn it's normal green. they probably look like little red pokers, right? It won't make a difference in the color of the vine or flower.

Good Luck, my third Clematis just started showing signs of life and I am really excited. I just planted it last Fall and I was not sure how it wintered here in the cold North:)

Thanks!!

Hi Blake,
Thanks for your reply. I have 50+ Clematis in my garden, so I know the usual color of new sprouts. This one is much brighter red. Looks like some of my Peonies' eyes. With so many Chalk Hill Clematis being weak or dead, I worried that this one is a weed, not emerging Clemmie...
This weekend we will finally have a warm (hot) weather here in Maryland. I hope it will grow enough to be compared with Peppa's pictures.

I purchased a Cassis clematis from a reputable grower in a one gallon pot that was very healthy when I planted it in the ground. It never broke dormancy the following spring and eventually rotted. Even though I love the pictures of this clematis, I am not sure I want to invest my money in trying it again based on my experience and what I have read on this forum.

And I agree that the Koi Garden clemmies establish themselves much better than Chalk Hill. I have a couple of them which I bought from CH and BABIED for 2 seasons that have yet to make an appearance this year.

Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Koi Garden clematis

Peppa,
Sialia is blooming! Here are a couple of pictures:

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Maybe, I will transplant her close to Pink Flamingo. I think they will look great together

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I am just afraid that they will not survive here.

I found where I planted 'Extra' from CH. So far, 1" sprout. At least, it is alive. Still no signs of life on 'King George V' and 'Tango' :o(

No signs of life from my Cassis or Bettina.
Two I've never found locally......

Yes, it is so frustrating... You might find Cassis at some online place, but I've never seen Bettina... Neither Kinge George, nor Tango.

my Cassis dead. Word is still out on most of them although I have seen growth on few

Alina,

Wow, your Sialia is looking good! Lots of flowers and very nice color! Thanks for posting these for me! My Sialia is still looking pretty bad and, sadly, my Mary Rose is officially dead. (big sigh...)

Your Pink Flamingo is looking nice, too! This is one of my favorite Atragenes and mine is still in buds. I think that it will start blooming in a week or so.

Thanks!!

I wonder why Atragenes bloom later in your area... My zone is lower than yours... I've never had them before.
Mary Rose is so unusual! I am sorry it died...

I finally dug up my montana 'Margaret Jones'. The red sprout was a weed! The tiny root of MJ has a couple of whitish shoots about 1/3" long. So it is alive, but it will probably take a long time to emerge. Hope it will not die.

Hi all,
I'm sure glad I looked in this forum before I bought any clematis anywhere. I checked out the Koi Gardens link. Bought 4, not many but more than 0! I got Bourbon and Dawn to go in a container. Arctic Queen and Rosemoor in the ground. IT does seem strange that there is not more activity here,especially in the gallery.I know I'll be posting mine as they bloom. I already have henri, the president both just planted a month ago. I also have 3 unknowns,when they bloom I'll know. thanks for the link.
Happy Spring! Kim

Still no signs of life from Cassis or Bettina.

The other four are still smaller than locally purchased gallon sized plants. Mary Rose and Rosa Konigskind have only one stem.

Chalk Hill deserves to be out of business.....

Sadly, but I agree. My 'King George V' is officially dead. 'Cassis' too. 'Tango' does not show any signs of life. About 8 out of remaining 13 are smaller and weaker than tiny Donahue's babies planted at the same time. One is very good ('Sialia'), 4 have multiple stems and some vigor.

My largest and worst Clematis order ever. I did not loose a single Clematis planted at the same time and bought at Koi Gardens and Lowe's.

I bought Piilu, Miniseelik and Petit Faucon from them last year. All look good right now. The Miniseelik started just as late and is growing just as well as one I got from Lowe's last year. The two Petit Faucons are several feet tall and have flower buds on them. They arrived with blooms last year so I'm excited to see more of those twisty blue blooms coming on them.

Off topic, but my Jackmanii is already 8 feet tall!

My clematis addiction only started 2 summers ago so I don't have a whole lot of growing experience, but I do have 2 clematis from Chalk Hill: Alba Luxurians and Perl D'Azur. I planted both in the fall of '07 and so far they are 2 of my best growing clematis. A Betty Corning from Brushwood purchased at the same time (and planted a few feet away from the Alba Luxurians) didn't make it through the first winter.

I'm glad to hear the Koi Gardens has a good reputation as I'm planting my clematis from them this week.

Guys, you probably referring to Clematis purchased from them at the regular price. They did have good feedback. At that time they cared about their reputation. That is why we used the last year sale as an opportunity to buy rare varieties. The price was about $14-$15 per plant including delivery. It turned out that they sent us poor quality plants. Personally, I think that going out of business is not an excuse for sending dead plants.

I can't remember if they were on sale or not, but my email copy of the order says it was placed June 17, 2008. Was that the sale? I think they arrived in late summer, early fall. I wonder if some varieties were more dead than others?

Mine were all pathetic when they arrived and the shipping charges for the pots full of rocks were ridiculous.

3 of the 10 I ordered are no shows so far: Scotti, Lord Herschell & Harlow Carr. 2 weeks ago Tie Dye just poked it's head out, 2 stems & now only 4" tall. Hanajima just popped up last week.

I do have past experience with clematis popping up out of no where...thinking they were dead. I had a sieboldii not show up til mid June last year, so I am still trying to be hopeful. I'd be most disappointed about HC.

I am curious as if they are still selling clematis? When I google a particular cultivar they pop up sometimes with a shopping cart to buy?! I haven't tried buying anything so can't say for certain. Anyone know?

I do have 2 other no shows so far that are not coming from CH. Weird I will have to say because at both nurseries I purchased at least 4 & all of the others have turned up. The weirdest being 2 Wallenburgs, 1 is growing great & the other I keep checking in the mulch...nada.

LeAnne, Joy Creek carries Betina. I know you are in Oregon, but I can't recall if they are close to you?

Here's to being optimistic...

I am thrilled to say that Bourbon has a tiny shoot poking out of the soil, so that makes 2 out of 3 that made it.

Yeaaaaaaaa Janet...Jeanne

Thanks for celebrating with me, Jeannie. :)

Joy Creek is about a half an hour's drive but I won't go there again. I received bad customer service from them twice and not going back for a third time. Thanks though.

Chalk Hill is out of business.

Is their mail order the same? I have yet to order from them because of their prices + shipping...would if it was an unusual cultivar. I have been stung too many times ordering plants online or via auction...not worth it. I would much rather give my money to local nurserys that work for it than save a buck or 2. I agree. if they aren't giving you great service in person, I would never go back. The sales manager should be looking for another job!

I've never ordered from them by mail so I couldn't say. It is the same nursery for sure.

I haven't ordered many plants online but I've had bad experiences and good ones. I have found good mail order suppliers on the different forums here at Garden Web and I check Garden Watchdog as well.

My two tries at ordering Clematis by mail were both unsatisfactory.

I dumped Cassis out today, nothing but a few rotted roots left.

Cassis is gorgeous & not reported to be tolerant in my zone. Being so new, I wasn't about to try it for the price it has been going for. Past expeience working in the nursery trade has proven that the newer the cultivar the weaker the plant. After all the hooha settles the plant actually proves its hardieness. Comes down to the supply & demand & over fertilizing to get mature plants to sell, in turn provides very weak plants for landscape purposes. In time I believe it will come around for all in the appropriate zones, sadly enough, never for me.

Anytime..what are friends for?...Jeanne