Peonies have been grown for thousands of years and were in cultivation in China more than 2000 years ago. The Greeks, Japanese, and Emperor Charlemagne, and 15 century English literature, all mentioned or used Peonies for beauty or medical purposes.  In the United States, Thomas Jefferson mentioned working with and breeding peonies. Peonies are great beauties, very colorful, long-lived, and quite hardy. There may be few landscapes that would not be enhanced with a Peony. Peony Care & Info Nature Hills Nursery Top 5 Peony Varieties Honorable Mentions: Peony Care & Info Peonies prefer a sunny, well-drained location. They will tolerate some shade but will bloom more prolifically in the sun. Peonies do not like to compete for moisture and nutrients with large trees or big shrubs. Plant them away from such competition.  They prefer to be planted in a neutral soil pH, with a pH of 6.5 being optimum. Peonies are not heavy users of fertilizer. An application of a slow-release fertilizer every several years should be sufficient. Available as both bareroot and container plants, you’ll find a Peony that’s perfect for you! Peony won’t need much care or maintenance. Deadhead blooms after they fade (if you’ve not snipped them all for indoor bouquets already), and let the foliage remain on the plant until autumn when the foliage yellows. At this time it is safe to snip the foliage off near the ground and remove the trimmings from the area. Nature Hills offers a variety of Peonies! While they are all gorgeous and fragrant, here are the top 5 highest rated Peony varieties! Deer & Rabbit Resistant Full Sun Lovers Easy Care & Low Maintenance Great Cut Flowers Long-Lived & Extremely Cold Hardy Nature Hills Nursery Top 5 Peony Varieties #5 Festiva Maxima Peony Glorious white whipped cream poufs of petals are what make up the Festiva Maxima Peony! Divinely fragrant and accented with hot pink to reddish edges in the centers of each enormous double bloom, adds dreamy elegance! These ruffled wonders are a gleaming gardener's favorite in the garden and as cut flowers for bouquets! The creamy dreamy white blooms are bridal quality! #4 Coral Charm Peony Gorgeous bowl-shaped petals surround a frilly golden yellow center of these coral-hued silky petals. These are lightly fragrant and have long-lasting blooms that have won awards for their exceptional color! This is a perfect mixture of orange and pink, the blooms fade to a delicate hue as they age. Perfect cut flowers and vibrant garden addition to the bed or border to attract pollinators galore! The inward curving petals are lovely landing pads for bees and butterflies!  #3 Bartzella Itoh Peony Yellow is a rare color for Peonies and the Bartzella Itoh Peony is a buttery soft shade of this sunny color! Double blooms open to display an orange eye with yellow stamen for a lovely bit of contrast! These are a unique hybrid cross of a Tree Peony and Herbaceous Peony, the ferny foliage and larger blooms herald their Tree Peony parentage. Just like the color of the petals, these blooms have a light lemony scent! Long-lived and cold-hardy, it’s no wonder this unique Peony has earned the #3 spot on our list! #2 Sarah Bernhardt Peony Creamy pink that fades at the edges of each voluminous petal of these baby pink blooms that are gorgeous and extremely fragrant! Named for the French actress, these huge blossoms take on a two-tone effect as the petals fade as layer upon layer of petals opens to reveal pompoms of lovely blooms. Grown for over a hundred years, Sarah Bernhardt is more disease-resistant than most and extremely cold hardy and long-lived as its cousins and forms rounded bunches of foliage that look handsome for the rest of the growing season. #1 Kansas Peony Bold double blooms of ruffled silky petals, the Kansas Peony takes the number one spot on our list because of its heavenly fragrance and bold pink hue that’s so dark it’s almost a scarlet red! Strong stems and glossy green foliage, these are garden must-haves that add bright pops of color to the landscape that won’t fade in the sun! Strong and durable, these plants live for over 50 years and are among the easiest to care for and the highest in disease resistance available! They have everything you could hope for in an ornamental flowering perennial! Honorable Mentions: Butter Bowl - Bowl-shaped blooms with baby pink outer petals a creamy buttery yellow inner petals Shirley Temple - A smaller plant with loads of smaller blooms in baby pink and white! As cute as the child actress it’s named after. Karl Rosenfield - So dark pink it’s almost scarlet red, this large double bloom appears to have stacked layers of ruffled petals! Red Charm - An unusual red double blooms are dramatic blooms that won’t fade! Raspberry Charm - Early blooming bowl-shaped blooms that are long-lasting in bright raspberry red with yellow centers! You will never be sorry for planting several Peonies in your garden and landscape! With fragrance, color and silky petals plus lovely foliage, you won’t go wrong! Order your flowering ornamental flowering perennial plants from NatureHills.com today and get your garden blooming with help from our experienced and knowledgeable horticulture staff! Happy Planting!

Like a breath of fresh air and the promise of warmer weather ahead, Lilacs are highly anticipated blooms each spring! These are some of our favorite flowering shrubs here at Nature Hills Nursery and our horticulturists want to help you know the best ways to keep your plants blooming and looking their very best! All About Lilacs Why and When to Prune Lilacs Frequently Asked Questions Mulching and Fertility Enjoy Your Lilacs! All About Lilacs Flowering Lilac bushes (Syringa) are low-maintenance, easy to grow, and are very hardy plants! They are among the most fragrant flowers in the plant world! You’ll find a fabulous range of Lilac for sale right here at Nature Hills Nursery. In addition to being fantastically fragrant, Lilac bushes are rugged and long-lived. This makes Lilac bush care a breeze. Larger shrubs offer good summer shade and privacy once they have reached their mature height, and provide screening from the neighbors, as well as block wind! Pollinators adore these blooms, so bees and butterflies will arrive in droves seeking out the nectar! They are fantastic cut flowers for perfuming your home and are just an old-fashioned standard flowering shrub and herald of summer.  Most Lilacs perform best between USDA hardiness zones 2 to 8, where longer hours of winter chill hours are available. Lilacs simply will not bloom if they’ve not had the required amount of chill. In warm winter zones, you can get the look of a Lilac with California Lilac (Ceoanthus). Why and When to Prune Lilacs The average size for a Lilac bush is approximately 6-10 feet, so tackling the job of trimming, shaping, and pruning Lilacs is easiest when you know how. Pruning should be done immediately after the flowers have died off. With a little pruning knowledge and how to replenish the old wood with new shoots - these shrubs can last a lifetime! Plan to prune your Lilacs immediately at the end of the blooming season, which occurs in early summer. Pruning too late will result in a reduction of blooms in the next season, or removing them entirely! Pruning too early will lessen the amount of time you have to enjoy your bush or Lilac tree during the season. You will need: Pruning shears A small saw Gardening gloves How do you trim a Lilac bush? Decide on your Lilac bushes height - Prune fewer old stems at the top of the bush if you prefer to retain them as tall bushes - Since the older stems produce the flowers, trimming too many of them will cause the Lilac bush to have fewer blooms. Clip off the dead flowers - Spent Lilac flowers are primarily located at the top of the bush. Trim shoots/suckers near the ground - Remove any suckers that develop too far away from the base of the plant if desired. Reach into the bush and clip a few larger stems - This will allow more sunlight to reach the inside stems. Prune dead or unhealthy-looking stems- These are the stems that are broken, withered and often hanging haphazardly on the plant. Trim branches - Focus on cutting the branches that stick the farthest out from the bush and any branches that are twisted around each other. Use the saw to cut the branches if your Lilac plant is older and the branches are thick. Frequently Asked Questions Can Lilacs be cut back hard? How do you rejuvenate old Lilacs? Say your older Lilac shrub has become sparse and leggy, requiring something more severe than just a trim. Renewal pruning and drastic changes may need to be done to freshen up the entire shrub, but it will be worth it. Maybe your Lilac is simply old and overgrown and you really need to rejuvenate it. You can let it bloom first if you like, but if you can't wait - you can cut out the oldest, fattest stems right down to the ground. Leave the younger, thinner stems in place just as you would for renewal pruning any other shrubs.  Maybe your plant is really overgrown? Lilacs are very forgiving and will respond beautifully if you cut all of the stems down to the ground and let all new growth develop from the roots.  Should you cut back Lilacs? Yes! Pruning Lilac bushes not only helps add fullness and branching but also shapes the plant and encourages new growth. You’ll keep large shrubs in check and small shrubs neat and tidy. Transplanting Lilac Bushes You can transplant young shrubs quite successfully! Read more in our Garden Blog Here! Mulching and Fertility It is best to add a 3-4 inch thick layer of Arborist bark chips as mulch over the surface of the root system, out to the dripline of your shrub or Lilac tree. This not only helps maintain soil moisture, and adds fertility but it also helps keep weeds down.  Use a general-purpose fertilizer in early spring, as soon as you see new growth forming, to promote blooming. Do not give flowering shrubs too much nitrogen since this will result in too few blooms! And avoid applying lawn or high-nitrogen fertilizers too close to these plants!  Soil and Water Lilacs do not like wet soil over a prolonged period of time. The roots run very deep, so if there is an extended drought period, water infrequently but thoroughly. They prefer organically rich, slightly acidic soils with good drainage. Add compost or arborist wood chips to maintain a 3 - 4 inch layer as mulch over the roots as needed to help retain moisture. Sun Lilacs bloom best in full sun, so when planting a Lilac, be sure to select an area with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. For older shrubs that may have had large trees grow up around them and begin shading them out, try pruning out a few limbs to let the sunshine through for your Lilac. Enjoy Your Lilacs! From large, impressive shrubs to smaller dwarf varieties, and even unique tree-form specimens and Bloomerang® reblooming varieties, the Lilac family's diverse colors and sizes will fill your world with varied beauty that lasts for decades! Let NatureHills.com help you keep your shrubs looking their very best! Happy planting with Nature Hills Nursery!

Solutions for young trees, including staking, watering and wrapping! We love trees as much as you do! Our team of growers has searched for just the right tree staking system; and love the Dewitt Tree Support Stake Kit. A proper staking system should provide adequate support for the canopy. However, the strapping system should never dig into the bark of the trunk which disrupts the critical tissues called "phloem". Phloem is the vascular portion of the tree which carries photosynthetic nutrition from the leaves down to the root system. Hard straps can easily "girdle your tree" by rubbing off the bark and phloem; which will kill them over time. How Long Should You Stake Your New Trees? Why Should You Stake a Tree? When Should You Remove the Tree Staking? Watering Support for Young Trees Wrap Trees to Protect From Chewing Pests NatureHills.com has carefully selected the Dewitt Tree Support Stake Kit, which features: A sturdy, yet "non-girdling" 3 foot support strap that won't damage your tree Three 10-foot sections of pliable, weather-resistant nylon tree rope  Three 15-inch 100% recycled plastic stake Included are written instructions with illustrations to make it easy for one person to do the installation. Use on one young tree with a diameter (caliber) trunk of three inches or less. How Long Should You Stake Your New Trees? There are many reasons to stake your young trees. However, in most situations staking should be considered a temporary condition. Anchoring your tree will help your new tree develop a robust root ball as it gets established in your landscape. It protects the tree in high-wind conditions! Once your tree's roots grow into the native soil of your yard, they'll act as a natural anchoring system. After the first year or two, remove the stakes. As with any guideline…there are a few exceptions! With heavy, full-size fruit and small root systems, Dwarf Apple fruit trees need permanent external support to remain upright and grow straight. #ProPlantTips Blog: Anchoring Your Dwarf Apple Trees Why Should You Stake a Tree? To protect against strong winds To stabilize newly planted trees until they form new roots To correct leaning trees as the soil settles around new plantings Specialty tree-form plants that are grafted to a standard trunk To shore up the small root ball of dwarf fruit trees To temporarily stake a new leader after corrective pruning Young, and newly planted trees may need a bit of help to maintain a straight trunk when you plant it. Other trees that have elongated young new growth on the leader may also need some help. Support for Tree-Form Plants Tree-form plants are another type of trees that should be staked to continue to form a nice, straight trunk. Stake their canopy in your yard to provide support for the root ball as it grows into your soil. Support for Grafted Trees Some specialty weeping grafted trees are still working to develop a straight trunk. At your home, give them help until the trunk firms up to protect the grafted section. After young grafted trees are planted, slide a straight 8-foot electric conduit as a stake alongside the main stem. Tie the trunk using flexible ties every few feet to support it. Leave the stake in place for the first growing season. Then remove it once the trunk is firmed up. What Kinds of Trees Usually Don't Need Staking? Short, stocky trees  Bare root trees Young "whips" that don't have a large canopy or side branching When Should You Remove the Tree Staking? Only keep the stake in place until the plant can safely stand nice and straight on its own. Once established, take the straps off and remove the stakes to allow the tree to move around in the wind. When an established tree can move freely in the wind, it will actually produce stronger trunks and branching. Staking gives the roots a chance to grow and firm up the trunk, which is what you want. Watering Support for Young Trees Watering new trees the first year can become a chore! Take advantage of one of our most helpful products for new trees…the Dewitt Dew Right Tree Watering Donut.  New trees should have consistent water at the roots the first year. This product saves you time and protects your tree in hot and dry conditions.  Application Instructions for Dewitt Dew Right Tree Watering Donut Once your tree is planted, spread the donut around the tree so it is as flat as possible Ensure the two emitters are placed ground-side down Then, locate the water plug and insert a garden hose to fill with water Once full, remove the hose and close the water plug When filled with water, the round dimensions are 36 inches in diameter. The material is UV stabilized and can be used in either commercial or residential applications. Poke your finger into the soil near the planting hole up to your second knuckle to check moisture levels. You may need to frequently fill the donut around newly planted trees may you to keep the roots moist. Water and nutrients seeps down into the soil through the dual water emitters and releases water slowly for 5-8 hours. This provides great hydration, without risk of water running off away from the roots. In early spring, it's easy to add the right measure of liquid fertilizer into the water plug. Please follow the label instructions to determine how much fertilizer to add. Wrap Trees to Protect From Chewing Pests Protect the trunk of all new trees with Dalen Tree Wrap from NatureHills.com. This specialty paper wrap breathes in extreme weather to avoid sun-scalding in high heat and frost cracking in frigid cold. Dalen Tree Wrap also keeps the sharp teeth of chewing rodents and insects from girdling the trunk and killing your tree. Fruit trees are especially tempting to animal pests. String trimmers are another common culprit that also damage the trunk. Give your new tree the help it needs with this easy investment. Each roll is three inches wide and 50 feet long. Each roll will protect 3 - 5 trees, depending on the diameter (caliper) of the trunks.  Application Instructions for Dalen Tree Wrap Apply the wrap snugly, overlapping by one-third on each rotation. Start at the base, and wind it around the trunk up to four feet. Cut and tuck the end under to secure it. Reapply a fresh wrap once a year for optimal protection. Add a circle of landscape cloth around the wrapped trunk of fruit trees as an added layer of protection. Enjoy the beauty and function of your new tree from NatureHills.com! We appreciate your business and the opportunity to sell gorgeous, healthy trees into communities across the United States.

A full sun garden gives Northern gardeners massive potential and helps extend your growing season just a bit longer than shade. It can also have its challenges for both gardeners and plants alike because of what comes with it - dry conditions, heat and humidity! For a northern gardener, full sun is a welcome luxury after a long winter but can mean constant watering, leaf burn and even dry, sunbaked soil that leaves plants and people gasping. Finding plants that do their very best in your unique climate and in full sun can be tricky, but Nature Hills is here with some pre-planned gardens for full sun that will also stand a chance against cold winters. Plus some tips and tricks on combating the blaze! Beat the Heat Root Insulation Hydration Shade Your World Flowers That Defy The Sun Pre-Planned Gardens for Success  Ready for The Sun Beat the Heat We all want shade and cover when we’re stuck out in the sun. For plants, that coverage is best done at the root level. Mulch, moisture, hardy or native plants and good soil. A surefire method for survival is first ensuring you have either hardy native plants that are made for the sun, or newer hybrids that are geared for anything your growing zone can throw at them. Choose plants perfect for your climate by adding your Zip Code to our Growing Zone Finder, have a look at Plants for Your State for ideas, and get in touch with your local County Extension Office to learn more about what will do best for your immediate area! Having organically enriched soil is the first step in preparing your garden for the sun. Organic matter holds moisture longer and releases it slowly, plus gives your root systems a cool, fertile place to grow. Adding peat moss, rich compost and other soil additions help not only improve soil microbial life but also increase moisture retention, cool the soil, and help plants grow deeper and healthier! This also aerates the soil and keeps it from compacting, leading to smaller root balls and preventing moisture from getting deep into the ground. Root Insulation A thick layer of Arborist Mulch, 3-4 inches deep, over the top of your garden beds is a sure-fire way to hold in more moisture, regulate moisture levels, and keep temperatures down so roots stay cool! For northern gardeners, it also means insulation from the cold in the winter. It also prevents evaporation throughout the entire year. Mulch adds to the organic matter, microbial action and biodiversity of your soil as it slowly breaks down. It’s a win-win! Hydration Using mulch and the methods above, you can help hold a more consistent soil moisture level throughout the highs and lows throughout the growing seasons. But another useful tool to help plants stand up to the sun is underground irrigation. When the sun is baking onto leaves and there’s water present from an overhead system or sprinkles, it can actually burn holes into the leaves or cause brown spots. Plants rarely take in moisture through their leaves, so give them the hydration they need to be delivered directly at the root zone! Soaker hoses and trickle irrigation won’t broadcast the water over the leaves and into the air, where most of it will just evaporate before the plant can use it, keeping the moisture where it’s needed most! This also prevents moisture on the leaves that can lead to powdery mildew and disease. If you do water with a hose or sprinkler, water in the evening or morning so leaves have time to dry before the sun comes out.  Shade Your World These shade trees thrive in the full sun and cold winters while giving your garden relief from the sun! Set up a hammock and bask under their welcoming limbs! Evapotranspiration by trees, combined with the shade they produce, reduces summer temperatures by 2–9°F! Strategically plant them around buildings or shade pavement that would otherwise radiate heat and amplify the sun. Linden Trees Crabapple Trees - Blooms & Fruit Birch, Aspen & Cottonwood Dogwood Trees Big Trees like Sycamore, Hackberry & Honeylocust Evergreens Flowers That Defy The Sun Hardy native perennials and shrubs that have evolved to survive your growing zone usually have also evolved for full sun and winters of your area! Here are some sun perennials that will also attract local beneficial pollinators and butterflies. These lovelies also bloom all summer and provide you with armloads of blooms for bouquets! Daylilies  Roses Sunflower family - At home in their namesake Daisy, Rudbeckia, Blanket Flower & Echinacea  Coreopsis  Ornamental Grasses Daisies Butterfly Bushes Asters Yarrow Butterfly Milkweed Iron Butterfly Ironweed Pre-Planned Gardens for Success  Here are a few collections to get your creative juices flowing! Cool As A Cucumber - Zones 3 and up Lime, chartreuse, white and cool colors to catch the eye and enliven the landscape! Little Lime® Hydrangea or Invincibelle Limetta® Hydrangea Glow Girl® Spirea or Magic Carpet Spirea Primrose Lilac Darts Gold Ninebark Blonde Ambition Blue Grama Grass First Editions® Matcha Ball® Ash Leaf Spirea Miss Manners Obedient Plant Whimsical Pink Pompom Pollinator Garden - Zone 3 and up Rounded and mounded pink hues that call butterflies and bees. Creeping Thyme  Cinderella Butterfly Weed  Autumn Joy Sedum Sea Thrift Splendens  SUNSPARKLER Firecracker Sedum  PowWow Wild Berry Coneflower  Coral Charm Peony Purple Lovegrass or Pink Muhly Grass Reflect the Sun - Zone 3 - 4 and up Glorious sunny hues of yellow, apricots and orange to bring the sun closer to home. Lily Looks™ Tiny Double You Asiatic Lily Tuscan Sun Sunflower or False Sunflower Zipper Coral Bells Sombrero Adobe Orange Coneflower or Tiki Torch Coneflower Butterfly Weed Plant Rainbow Rhythm® Orange Smoothie Daylily Arizona Apricot Blanket Flower Night Time During Day - Zones 3 and up Dark and dramatic hues bring depth and curiosity to the garden bed! DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon NORTHERN EXPOSURE™ Coral Bells Espresso Geranium Blackhawks Big Bluestem Nosferatu Daylily May Night Salvia or Salvia Bumbleberry Rock 'N Grow® Back in Black Sedum Sterling Sun & Drought - Zones 4 & up Cool, calm and collected silvers and blues add softness and grace to the garden. Silver Mound Artemisia Helene Von Stein Lamb's Ear Blue Star Juniper  Blue Oat Grass The Blues Little Bluestem Grass or Heavy Metal Switch Grass Silver Buffaloberry Dropmore Ornamental Catmint Soggy Sunny Soil Zones 3 & 4 and up Damp spots in the garden, Rain Gardens, or that wet spot by the gutters, this one's for you! Dogwood like Ivory Halo  White Turtlehead Milkmaid Swamp Milkweed Miss Manners Obedient Plant Buttonbush Winterberry & Yaupon Holly Variegated Iris Summersweet Shrubs Bald Cypress & Prairie Cascade Willow Ready for The Sun Get out your lounge chair and shades and kick back with a drink this summer without worrying about your garden when you select plants that are ready for the summer sun! Straddling the heat of summer and cold winters can be a challenging situation! Let Nature Hills Nursery help you find the right plants for your unique landscape today by calling our customer service experts or dropping by our website anytime for inspiration! 

Gorgeous, unearthly blooms, Clematis are vining flowering perennials that become smothered in colorful unusual blossoms and are reliable vertical ornamentals! So easy to grow, so beautiful, and so very useful in the landscape. Both deciduous and evergreen Clematis species exist, with a wide variety of bloom times! There are extremely cold hardy and some extremely heat tolerant varieties available today! Perennial Clematis plants bloom year after year, and Clematis vines become woody with age, making them perfect for a permanent spot in your garden! How to Train Clematis Vertically How to Train Clematis Horizontally Clematis in the Garden and Beyond Clematis Growing & Care Dividing Clematis Clematis Pruning How to Train Clematis Vertically Clematis are very good at climbing by themselves! While they don't have sticky feet or adhere to surfaces like Boston Ivy, they twine their stems around any foothold given to hang onto and climb. You can use soft cloth strips or twist ties to help encourage them to grow where you want them to. Provide a sturdy trellis to encourage it to grow upwards, or use a half-inch or smaller means of support for them to wind around. Fishing line Twine Wooden or metal support Chicken wire Lattice Choose a strong section of growth and gently tie it to a section of your trellis or arbor. The following year, remove that tie and move it up further to the new growth to secure this where you want it to grow! Often, Clematis vines can be trained on a trellis or trained to grow up against a structure to add privacy, covers eyesores, save space and even used as thrillers in containers and planters! Train your ornamental flowering vine up a: Mailbox or birdhouse stake Column by your porch or deck supports Stair or porch railings Fences Trellis or Arbor Any small frame or support in a container - vertical thrillers A gutter downspout (They'll love the extra moisture and not get into trouble) The side of a building using wall anchors and wire/mesh Train around either side of a window (window box!) Grow Clematis and Roses or other flowering vines together How to Train Clematis Horizontally One interesting way to use a Clematis is to allow it to grow without support or as a groundcover or allow them to sprawl over evergreen shrubs, or wind themselves through leggy shrubs - just like jewelry for your plain landscape plants! Let ramble over bare or mulched ground as ground cover Living mulch Let cascade down over rock walls or retaining walls Let meander and cover a hard to mow hillside or slope Create banks of color around garden edges Line pathways Spillers in hanging baskets or patio pots Clematis in the Garden and Beyond Bush-style Stand by Me Clematis is a fantastic upright mounding perennial that won't climb! Tuck this purple gem into planters and among other perennials to enjoy their unique blooms and structure!Not only do these lovelies attract pollinators and should be a standard addition to butterfly gardens, but they're also great in perennial gardens and cottage borders. Bird-Friendly, the thick vines are great cover and nesting, while some varieties produce fruits/seeds birds like to eat. Shorter-growing Clematis can also be grown in containers or directly in the ground as smaller accents! Add some dreamy white Clematis to your Moon garden! Spruce up a shade garden with vertical or horizontal shade-tolerant vines! Add to your cutting garden to snip a few stems for your floral arrangements! Even the unique seed pods look great in dried décor!   Clematis Growing & Care Clematis are relatively easy to care for when the proper conditions are given. Whenever the ground is workable, Clematis can be planted. When growing Clematis, the proper time and method of planting will make caring for the plant much easier. At least six hours of sun per day is ideal Mulch well - Clematis like to have cool soil Provide consistent water; mature vines can use 2 gallons per day when in flower Plant at least 6-12 inches away from the support so the roots have plenty of room Organically enriched, well-drained soil The best thing to do when growing Clematis is to mulch heavily near the base of the plant. This will allow the soil to maintain moisture and also provide shade for the root system. Container-grown Clematis can be planted all throughout the growing season. They will need the first season to establish and can be a bit slow at the start, but a bit of patience as the wait is well worth it. Bareroot Clematis should be planted in the autumn. Don't forget the Nature Hills Root Booster for lifelong root support! Tips for planting or transplanting: First, install a trellis or some sort of support that your vine can climb up as it grows. Dig a hole that is twice the diameter of the root ball and only about as deep to accommodate the roots. Spread the roots out and carefully backfill with the same soil that was excavated from the hole. Then completely saturate the soil to eliminate any air pockets and settle the soil well. Important to add 3-4 inches of mulch over the root zone to keep the soil cool and moist which is what Clematis love to perform best. Your Clematis needs regularly watered through its first summer. After the first year, your plant's roots will be well established and only need water during extended drought. Dividing Clematis Dividing Clematis is one form of propagation of the plant and consists of dividing it at the roots into two or more plants. When dividing Clematis plants, it is important to know what species the Clematis is. The best time to divide Clematis is just before new growth will appear, and after the plant emerges from dormancy. Many Clematis plants are climbers, and will be attached to a fence or other such medium, some able to achieve great heights. It is best to simply cut the plant off, leaving at least three to four good buds per stem. Once the stems have been trimmed, the jumble of roots should be divided and each plant made should have an even amount of roots. Now, take the separate plants and transplant them into the garden wherever desired. It is best to plant the newly divided plants deeply into the soil, to give the weakened roots more protection from drought. Clematis Pruning Pruning your Clematis plant is the most important factor when considering how and when a Clematis will bloom. While pruning Clematis improperly won't kill the plant, it will likely delay the bloom. Not pruning the plant at all still results in flowers, but proper pruning will ensure you get to enjoy more and longer-lasting blooms. All Clematis should be cut back the first early spring after planting. After this, the time and amount of pruning depend on the type of Clematis being grown. There are 3 types of pruning that you should be aware of depending upon which type of Clematis you have: Pruning Group 1: Bloom on old wood For Clematis that bloom on the old wood, do not prune until they are done flowering. Then you can reduce the size, and remove the oldest thickest stems but only right after they bloom. Pruning Group 2: Bloom on new and old wood Clematis pruning of the second group, consisting of varieties that bloom on both current and previous year's growth. Begin in early spring with a light pruning. When pruning, keep variations in stem length to produce a better-balanced plant. Any weak or dead wood should be removed at this time as well. Pruning Group 3: Bloom on new wood Clematis are later bloomers, the flowers form on new growth (that current growing season) can be cut down to 12-18" in late winter or early spring and the new growth develops from the stems you leave. This results in blooms near the base and have flowers sporadically up the height of the entire plant. Now you can sit back and watch your vine climb and produce its beloved flowers! Growing a Clematis vine is a fun and easy activity for any gardener. Plus, adding these gorgeous blossoms is an easy way to dress up any place in the garden without taking up much space! Take a look at some of these more unusual standouts in the Clematis family - Princess Diana Clematis - Unusual 3-petalled blooms in vivid magenta Avant Garde Clematis - Dramatic Burgundy blooms with lighter, frilly centers Regal® Diamantina™ Clematis - Double violet petals for a dramatic effect! Blue Light Clematis - Double bloom in pale lavender-blue & two types of petals! Guernsey Cream Clematis - Large, pure white petals & golden center. My Angel Clematis - 4-petals with yellow interior, red exteriors & unusual centers Sweet Summer Love - A fragrant reddish-purple 4-petalled Clematis So get thinking of all the different places in your landscape that you can add Clematis! Then head over to NatureHills.com to choose the ones perfect for you! Spring shipments will occur when planting can happen in your area, and container plants can be successfully transplanted all throughout the growing season, using Plant Sentry™ to follow all plant material regulations. Browse our selection of Clematis for sale and place your order at Nature Hills Nursery today!