This is the very most perfect time of the growing season to be planting those gorgeous lovelies that you just had to have but have left in the pots that you were just going to “start” them in. Admit it. You have plants languishing, longing for a home, seeking solace from a raised bed. And you are ignoring them. Shame.

Actually, I am speaking to myself here and am running on the assumption that I am not alone. Plus the nurseries are offering sales so you can add to your hoard.

I have just, as of yesterday, planted two clematis. Both are Madame Julia Correvon and are in Group 3 of the clematis world. This means that they will achieve 10 feet each year but will die back in the fall. In the spring I will, supposedly, cut it down to six or eight inches. Each is at the base of its very own Donald Wyman lilac. This is not really procrastination but fear that I am making a mistake by combining this duo.

I have read about interplanting lilacs and clematis but the fear of the clematis overwhelming the lilac is, to me, very real. I just can’t see how this is going to work. What is going to happen to the lilac in the spring when I am out there ripping and tearing the spent clematis vines out of it? What if it is all entwined around lilac buds? What if I absolutely destroy what are fast becoming magnificent lilacs? These are huge, weighty what ifs.

But, if it all works, won’t that just be wondrous? To have a lilac seemingly bloom twice? I am taking the chance that this little experiment is going to work and will be very interesting and very lovely.

If there are still clematis to be had on sale, keep in mind that they are categorized into three groups. Each one will dictate a different pruning requirement. Group 1 should be pruned after they have finished flowering. You will need to cut out dead or damaged vines and trim back the healthy vines to keep the plant in reasonable bounds. Group 2 will be pruned in early spring, taking the vine back to strong buds. Group 3 gets cut back to six or eight inches above the crown and starts all over again. Keep this in mind when you are shopping for a clematis.

The classic combination is clematis and roses. I just happen to have a really huge rosa rugosa “Hansa,” and this would be a perfect specimen to try out this experiment on. But I am out of expendable clematis, fortunately, as my imagination is running wild as it is.

The c.viticella “Virgin’s Bower” that found a home in front of the wrought iron railing on the front porch is absolutely magnificent. It has small, nodding purple flowers and started blooming last week; it has yet to peak. There are hundreds of buds/blooms covering this vine. Lovely.

There are two trellises leading into the vegetable garden and each one has a c. “Jackmanii” planted at its base. This is their second year and they are heavy with buds. The potential here is tremendous. Again, these are a Group 3, which means that they need to be pruned to just six or eight inches about the base of the plant each spring. The problem is that they are not achieving their potential fast enough to really cover the trellis. Thus, I have interplanted one of them with a c. alpina. The alpina will bloom early and is a Group 1. From what I have seen of these, I will have to keep hacking it back to keep it from overwhelming me, the trellis, the garden, the world. I hope.

As you go about your life and hit on one of these nursery sales, keep your wits about you. You already have plants that have been potted up all season and are still waiting for a home. Think about them before you charge ahead and buy more.

I have a dozen three-inch pots each holding a lovely lavender plant that I started from seed this spring. Yes, this spring. Two have been planted into the nursery bed and three more have made it to a sunny, well-drained plot. But the dozen is what is left over from that. Goodness. They were from Denali Seed Co., and there is no species name for them, just “lavender.” Which makes this all the more interesting. There has to be at least a gazillion named lavenders out there and I get the one that is nameless. And it was really easy to start from seed. Now we’ll see how it makes it through the winter. Lavender is not something that is wildly successful here in the Far North. If this one is, I would really like to know what its name is.

If you find yourself buying trees and shrubs, think about what their full size is before you plant it up against the house. The tag will not lie to you. I know that you want your space to be full fast but, really, if you just wait long enough it will fill up and you will not be faced with the sad task of cutting down a tree or shrub because you can no longer see out your window or get into your door or back the car out of the garage. Mature size is to be taken into consideration at all times.

Now that you have that concept, when you dig the hole, make it just large enough to accommodate the root ball. Don’t bother with adding compost or manure to the hole, just back fill it with the soil that came out. This will let the roots find a home fast. If you augment the soil the roots will stay in that little perfect world and be reluctant to venture out. A stifled root ball is not a strong base for a big tree. Let the roots adapt to what is there, what is readily available. Life is cruel.

Try not to wait much longer to get plants in the ground. It would be nice if they had enough time to get comfortable in their new home before short days and cold weather set in.

Note: Homer Garden Club tours will be Sunday. Meet at City Hall at 2 p.m. and be prepared to car pool.

Rosemary Fitzpatrick has been gardening with gusto in Homer for 27 years.