Thanks for the compliment...lots of room is nice but I tend to get carried away and then have to keep it all up. My clematis took a few yrs before it actually did this well. I have 4 in different areas of the yard and I can't figure out what they like. One is in direct sun all day - the white one, I have a dark purple also in direct sun all day and one half under my japanese willow and it does well and one in shade and it does ok too. who knows. I dont cut mine back ever - maybe thats it..I do take off dead vines in the fall but just let them go. we are on what was our dairy farm and did have cows and did get great soil from the manure run-off so maybe that's the trick.

actually I dont mind the weeding most days because I love my hands in the dirt and feeling the earth but it takes up a lot of time.. Our land was a dairy farm and the house sits in a slight dip from where the dairy barn was so we got the manure runoff after rain and the land is very rich so weeds love it...and weeds are just plants no one wants!!! I dont know what your clematis has but I think cutting it back was a good idea. we have a truck and used to mulch a long time ago but the cost isnt worth it and now that I am retitred I have time.

did you get flowers on the clematis? what exactly is wilting? the vines? Has it been in the same place long? is it a new plant? is it the purple on on your pictures? I like the fact that your gardens are mulched...I have too many gardens and not enough $ to mulch everything so I do a lot of weeding or I plant closer together so you cant see the weeds :)