Clematis take patience, more so that just about anything else I plant other than trees. Especially if they started out small, they will be growing roots and getting established the first couple of years and only start blooming a bit in year three. Ville de Lyon is a great plant. It was one of my first clematis and blooms well for me now, rambling over some shrubs and up a porch railing.

I planted my first clems in May 2009. I planted 3 Bourbons and 2 Fireworks, and each of the plants were about 2 feet tall and had healthy roots when I planted them. In 2010, I had ONE bloom. This year, I think I had more blooms than leaves!! It is amazing how these plants can show healthy growth for the first couple years, but no blooms and then, all of a sudden, they just take off. Patience--they will come.