I have a large clump of Aconitum, monkshood, and in recent years grubs have burrowed down the tips, this year i was ready for them and sprayed the new foliage, but to no avail, i picked them all off the tips and they were back again, i only have a couple of flower spikes comeing up now, such a shame as when its all flowering it takes some beating, julien.

I have a Clematis 'Mrs Cholmondely' - I've only seen her flowers once, shortly after I planted her. The next year, she got 'chomped' by snails...and the next, twice, despite my trying to protect her, and the poor thing sending up a new shoot.

This year, she got as far as producing some lovely fat buds - and then collapsed with wilt. How about that? :-((

How annoying Spritzhenry. It's enough to depress you isn't it lol Don't give up ! there's next year (hopefully)

I have a Nelly Moser in a large pot and it's never done well (it was at the front of the house where it's very windy)
Well this year it had a branch with 4 big buds on it so I decided to move the pot round the back - where it isn't so windy.
And what do you think - as I was dragging the pot round the side of the house the branch with buds snapped off :( lol I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry ...
It has another branch with 2 flowers and they are the size of dinner plates. But the 4 flowered branch is no more !

Try growing it up through something like an old chimney pot or a piece of drainpipe. This will protect it from clematis wilt as well as the kids and cats. Then make sure it has something solid and noticeable to climb into. You could also grow something spiny like one or two miniature berberis in front of it so you don't get too close. Its such a lovely thing its worth making an effort for!

It seems the Clematis causes a few of us some problems, or may its just the 'lady' Clematis :-))). Not a sexist comment I am female.
Julien, what beasties eat the Aconitum, I was under the impression they were generally pest free. I have 2 varieties and so far havent found anything bothering them.
Steragram, Will they grow up through something solid like that? I was going to fashion a little wire mesh into a tube shape or something similar. They are growing up onto a trellis attached to a fence to its a pretty solid frame for them once the get there, or I should say if they ever get there.

Hi Scottish, its so frustraighting, as soon as the aconitum starts shooting up, the tips suddenly curl up and within are small grey catterpillers which eat the tips and burrow down the stem, i was thinking it is a type of sawfly larvae, julien.

I always thought that Aconitum were generally pest free but obviously not. I can honestly say that until I joined this site the only thing I used to look for were slugs and snails, now I 'wonder' about every beastie in the garden lol!! Is there a cure or fingers crossed?