WOW! Saving almost $2 grand on a shepard's hook is one heck of a deal. LOL!

IMO, trying to get a clematis to climb a single, narrow pole successfully is challenging. There is just not enough 'meat' (for lack of a better word) for the tendrils to wrap around and adhere to. If you were to loosely wrap the pole with something like chicken wire, I think you would have better results. Otherwise, a regular trellis type support is suggested.

oh wow, I didn't even notice the massive discount! And here I was thinking 35 bucks was overpriced. Guess I'm a bigger cheapskate than I thought...

Thanks for the advice. I think I will go ahead and scrap the shepherd's hook idea and invest in some kind of metal obelisk for my clematis instead.

I have Clematis growing up the Vinca vine that is attacking the house. People wonder how I got the Vinca to bloom so well (-:

A few years ago, I was painting the house. When I got to this part I dreaded chopping it all down to paint the corner. I discovered that the vinca did not cling to the house at all rather it was strongly leaning up against it with only minimal attachment under the shake shingles. I eased it down, finished painted the house, then placed two anchors to stand it back up again.

How cool is that?

I think you'll find the obelisk a much better choice. And an attractive garden element as well. Good luck with your new clematis. Remember to dig a generous planting hole in well-draining soil, amend well and plant deeply - 2-4" lower than the current level of the container. Prune back to about 6" now or in late winter and continue to prune hard for the next couple of seasons. This will insure a strong root system and multiple stems. And be patient.......clematis take around 3 years to really come into their own.

And I'm sure that original price on the shepard's crook was a typo :-) $1900 is preposterous!!

If you want to use that hook, you might find that it may be too smooth to hold the plant. You might look into a hardware store for some black ty-wraps to create short branches. Trimming them to about 3" should do it and being black, they tend to disappear.

You might check your local Ocean State Job Lot if you have one. They had the hooks for $6 or so in the spring. March was a good time for me.

Also, I met with success when I propped a large flat rock over the root to keep it in the cool shade.

This post was edited by Emerogork2 on Thu, Oct 2, 14 at 18:37

I have seen Clematis in a display garden climbing rebar poles that had one foot long pieces of rebar welded on to them to create a "ladder"

IF one can cut and weld rebar, this would be cheap

You can also make a teepee out of three or four pieces and use a hose clamp to tie together at the top.

Rebar has plenty of texture for them to grip

You could have strings attached vertically to the two loops. From that, weave in some basic ladder or netting with additional string/twine, including the main vertical bar. You may need to find something to attach to it to keep the lines from falling or slipping (such as the twist ties).

At first it will look unsightly, but once it is covered up, having the additional strings/net formation for the clematis to attach to might be worth it.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Well, I went with an obelisk, which is now installed and ready to provide "winter interest." Emerogork and gardenper, I may try one or both of your methods of engineering the hook, so I can get another clematis! Right now, I think it will serve as a double bird feeding station for the winter.