Ivy and Vines

About 4 years ago, we planted 3 very small Boston Ivy plants around our lamp post. The first year it just sat there. The second year it decided to send up 1 weird shoot that refused to connect to the lamp post. The third year it started to climb slowly up the post with the help of garden twine, but only had leaves at the very top of the post. It looked very strange. And then last year, it did this.....

This year I think it needs a clematis to wind through the ivy, don't you? I tried one at the end of the season last year but I doubt that it will come back this year, it was a "Niobe" with huge, beautiful deep magenta-red flowers. It bloomed a bit, but never really took off.

The other clematis I have is a purple "Jackman" that grows happily amongst my white Iceberg Climbing rose. I've had good success with this clematis so perhaps I need to just get another one of these for the lamp post.

The Iceberg Climber (a.k.a. my arch nemesis) is a whole other story...