Gardeners love to see plants thrive in their gardens. It is beyond dismaying to witness a previously-healthy plant on the cusp of blooming suddenly wilt and expire. Clematis vines are especially appreciated in a garden for their vertical appeal. Their blooms can be exquisite in form and colour and profusion, enlivening a garden spectacularly.

I have the privilege to have been pleasured immensely by a succession of clematis vines over the past twenty years in my current garden settings. Some of these vines are those that were originally planted when the gardens were first initiated through a long process of ameliorating the mostly-clay soil with peat moss and enriched garden soil and then subsequently over time additionally, with applications of compost from our compost bins.

They have seldom failed to delight during their bloom periods. There are even clematis vines breaching the fence between our gardens and that of our neighbour's, with her vines straggling through toward our side of the fence to bloom lustily in the more encouraging sun exposure found on our side.

Last year I noticed for the first time that a malady had attacked one of our backyard clematis vines, and hastily replaced it. This year, no fewer than four vines in the gardens at the front of the house have suddenly died back after having vigorously grown onto their supports; one of the vines was actually on the brink of opening a myriad of mature flower buds. And then: wilt. The foliage looked as though it was starved of moisture and curled shrunken in size.

It appears they have been struck with clematis wilt. Caused by excessive moisture. Which is what we have experienced this very rainy spring with incessant thunderstorms and heavy all-day rain events. Creating an atmosphere beloved of the fungus Ascochyta Clematidina. Which, it would appear, could be treated proactively, which is to say before the fungus gains a hold, by spraying with sulfur fungicide.

On the other hand, it is entirely possible that the afflicted vines may self-resuscitate within a short
while, or within the space of three years - or not at all.