My 6 yr old red clematis isn't growing this year. It had tiny green leaves back in May. Now leaves are brown. I had planted hosta's to shade the roots. Could the hosta's shaded the plant too much. I've been faithful watering and fertilizing. I live in Massachusetts. The winter was hard. Thank you

If there was a hard frost after those tender new leaves came out, the plant may not have had enough reserve to leaf out a second time so died.