Mrs Cholmondeley Clematis.

[Tilly2]

My lovely clematis has been ruined by the rain. The huge flowers are droopy and very sad looking. I have looked at the RHS site but it doesn't tell me what to do after the flowers have died off.

Shall I just cut them off and hope for another set of flowers later in the season?

[DTCwordfan]

think I would too - maybe he is an expert on Welsh clematis.....you know that he has to have an angiogram for a valve replacement? (GMEB this morning).

[melv16]

Up against a wall or in a bed, Tilly ;-)

[DTCwordfan]

melv was seeded between the sheets and spent his early life in bed - and then, as he branched out on the trellis wall of adult life, he was chopped back, a simple snip-snip of his floral two-lobed anther, for the benefit of others in the AB garden.

[Tilly2]

That's lovely Divebuddy but I don't have any red flowers in my garden. If I did I might choose that one. :-)

Thanks for the info. regarding Mikey, DTC. Is he ok?

[DTCwordfan]

he's okay - a bit nervous about the procedure as it's around now his parents went - however, he was getting some badgering banter from us on GMEB as it's one of those procedures that need to be done or he risks more ticker probs.....Nurse Ratchet from East Edinbourg was in and I volunteered my surgery skills.....

[Tilly2]

Thanks, DTC. x

[DTCwordfan]

the first principle of surgery being like that of gardening or in handling those with two-lobed anthers - "If in doubt, rip it out!"

[Chipchopper]

A bit late for my response but it wouldn't be 'clematis wilt' would it ?

[Tilly2]

I don't think so, Chip. More like 'clematis soaked.'

[Chipchopper]

Sorry, I was referring to the fungal disease known as 'clematis wilt' which is fairly common in early summer, especially with the larger flowered clematis hybrids.
Fungal spores can spread quickly through heavy rain drop splashes and infect plants through damaged leaves etc, causing the sudden wilted appearance.

[Tilly2]

This is how it looks today, Chip.

http://i63.tinypic.com/mtudy.jpg