failures of january

My winter clematis has failed this year. I'm not sure why, but it could be that the roots aren't deep and damp enough. There's a bit of green left on it, but mostly it's the distintive brown dessicated mess of clematis wilt.

I'd rather remember it in its glory, last year:



That fence is once again now just ivy, exactly what I'd rather it wasn't. Bloody hedera helix - it does lift a barrier, but where it grows, nothing else does. Although it's hard to separate the position from the competition, as it's also true that ivy will grow in places and spaces which nothing else can manage.