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Clematis Niobe

• Message 1. 

  Posted by rotherham_cricket_fan (U14622841) on Tuesday, 13th March 2012

  Hi there, I am currently trying to find the best plants for a full shade border. I used the plant finder on this website and it brought me to the niobe which is definately my prefered choice of a climber for this area. It does say full shade will give it its most richest colours but I have read various other websites and they dont mention this. Does anyone know if this plant would work in full shade? Many thanks

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by anothergardener (U14387447) on Tuesday, 13th March 2012

  I don't think any clematis will be entirely happy in full shade.
  The colours of some clematis fade in full sun so that may be the reason for the shade recommendation.
  
  Are you talking about a north wall, or under trees? If there is some light at the beginning and end of the day and the site is open to the sky, not overhung, then it should be ok.
  
  Niobe is excellent, I live in a cold area and sometimes the top growth is killed off in winter but it comes back every time and flowers beautifully.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Goldilocks (U2169760) on Tuesday, 13th March 2012

  Niobe is best planted in partial shade, though it will do fine on a north facing wall, which will get sun in early morning and late afternoon in summer. (I can't quite understand the geometry of it, but it's true, as my lean-to greenhouse faces due north). I It won't do well in heavy shade).
  I have a Guernsey Cream, which, like Niobe, fades badly in strong sunlight. It is on my north wall, facing the fetch from the North Sea, yet it does really well.
  
  PS: I have just checked, and three sites advise, for Niobe, "shade / partial shade" (Â鶹Éç gardening site), "semi-shade", and "sun/partial shade"!!

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• Message 4

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  Posted by rotherham_cricket_fan (U14622841) on Tuesday, 13th March 2012

  thanks for both your replies. Yes its north facing so should catch the early morning sun but i doubt it will get any late evening sun due to the garden being lower than the house. Im aiming to grow it up some trelis against the fence and that side of the garden has no overhang. It sounds like it should work. Right just to find the rest of it now..... thanks again and I will probably be back very soon. Im a complete novice.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by centuri (U14318548) on Wednesday, 14th March 2012

  I have a 6 year old Madame lecoultre (large white flowwers) growing in a large container and it gets NO sun at all and is amazing when it flowers and gives smaller flowers late summer.But and a big but!! I drug it like mad with tomatoe feed once a month and may bey that is the secret.My garden is north facing and I have about 20 diferent clematis.Some get a few hours sun from May but they all seem to flowwer ,maybe not as they should but I just love to see at least 5/6 flowers on each plant

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by David K (U14115317) on Wednesday, 14th March 2012

  Nothing to add to the previous comments except to show you my own ‘Niobe’ growing in full sun:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I would add that the flowers do tend to fade in full sun.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by kathy (U10755526) on Wednesday, 14th March 2012

  Beautiful Niobe David. Mine died off last year - don't know why. I've had it about 10 years (but it was never as good as yours). Luckily I have another, smaller one and a "Forever Friends" which I bought at Chelsea in 2010.
  I'm about to sow my Sweet Peas as well as lots of veg.
  Kathy

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• Message 8

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  Posted by Salino (U2550900) on Wednesday, 14th March 2012

  I wouldn't worry too much about the North facing position as long as there is no tree overhang. I have a border facing that way, hardly any sun catches it, and I grow one of these new Boulevard clematis 'Ice Blue' [off white with blue tints], up a metal trellis - it's suitable for any location.
  
  I try to put bright flowers in this position to show up better. I avoid dark colours. My Berberis 'Pow Wow' is just coming into leaf and really stands out. Noted sunlover Ceratostigma 'Willmottianum' with it's lovely cobalt blue flowers really shows up well and grows vigorously with profuse flowering all summer. It does not need full sun.
  I also have Helianthemum 'Sterntaler' - bright yellow flowers - It seems to like it.
  
  White flowering Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' grows here too. Experiment - don't be afraid of north facing. You could even try white roses if you like them, my rambler 'Blush Noisette' faces north west.

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• Message 9

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  Posted by rotherham_cricket_fan (U14622841) on Friday, 16th March 2012

  Some fantastic pictures there, i hope mine looks as half as good as that. Thanks for the suggestions on other plants, i have spent the last couple of weeks searching for plants etc for that position and came up with a plan of what i want and where im going to put it but the one im having trouble finding to buy is Indian Pink Spigelia Marilandica. Does anyone know if it is possible to get this in the UK? I shall be having a look at your suggestions though all the same.

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