It was just growing straight up. Wasn't twining, wasn't wrapping just growing right up. I had to twist it around the trellis that it's growing in front of. Additionally, it didn't even attempt to put for any buds or blooms.

Any clue what was going on?

No, I didn't do anything during the spring. I didn't realize I had to.

So need to pinch the type IIs when they start trying to bud?

Will I need to do anything special for my Polish Spirits next year? I think they'll be two next spring since they were bitty when I got them last year.

Your niobe ia a type II and will benefit immensely from being cut back. After a couple of years of doing this, you can start to treat it as a type II is typically treated.

Your Polish Spirit is a type III and every year you are going to want to cut him back in the Spring.

Check out the FAQ - the process is outlined there for all 3 pruning groups.

It was the lack of twining that had me confused. I'll make sure to remember about the food though, I tend to be very bad about fertilizing outside plants.

Any Clematis that is newly planted in your garden is considered "new" regardless of how old or how big it was in the nursery pot.

They require at least three years to get established from transplanting. They are not instant gratification plants.

Type IIs will grow one long scraggly vine with few flowers unless they are pruned or pinched in the spring as they start to grow. This is not odd, it is normal.

Polish Spirit is a very vigorous Type III and will grow differently from Niobe.

They grew one or two really long vines with few flowers for almost ten years until I chopped them down several years in a row. Now they have dozens of vines and hundreds of flowers.