If anyone asked me what my favoutite climber was, I think it would have to be the clematis. When I walk through my garden and see the first flower of the year, on its elegant stem, I still feel a sense of wonder at its beauty and grace.
Not only do they look fantastic growing over pergolas, walls and fences, they are also reasonably easy to grow. Clematis really come into their own either when grown together or with other plants or climbers. Just picture that elegant pink rose with a purple clematis growing through it - wonderful! And they can be grown up trees, through bushes and even intertwining with other plants in the border. Train them where you want them to go or give them a free rein to go where they please.
There is such a wide range of plants in this species it is difficult to make a choice. But let's be sensible - choose we must.
My recommendations would be:
'Ville de Lyon' - large/bright carmine red/group 3 . Alternatively, follow the 'Crocus' link below, set out in general categories, to explore not only a wider range of varieties but also a good range of other climbing plants. Two varieties look stunning when planted together, as in the picture above but do remember to choose ones that flower at the same time in order to get the desired effect.
Pruning - oh no, not that again, I hear you say. And for these plants you will see groups 1,2 and 3. Don't panic! - it's not that difficult.
Clematis fall into three groups: Group1 - The early flowering type, such as the montanas (those are the ones you see growing up house walls that have small pink flowers and a vigourous habit), the alpinas (very pretty with small, nodding heads) and the macropetalas. Ha! - they hardly need pruning at all. Immediately after flowering, just cut out shoots from the base to thin out if necessary but otherwise leave alone. If they get terribly overgrown or your house wall needs painting! just cut them back to about 1' and they should sprout again. Group 2 - These are the large flowering types that flower in early summer on the previous years growth, then in late summer on new growth. In late winter/early spring cut out weak or damaged shoots and thin out plant by cutting some stems to a new pair of shoots. This group needs minimal pruning and can be cut back hard every 3 to 4 years. Group 3 - If in doubt cut back to strong leaf buds at 12" in early spring before new growth begins. Easy! If you want to be a little more particular - this group flower late in summer on growth made in that season and because of this some (viticellas and texensis) can be cut back to about 12" in late winter/early spring. Cut out any damaged wood. Others can just be left to run free (small drooping head types), and others in this group - generally the larger flowering varieties can be treated like the group 2 clematis, to extend the flowering season; or can be just cut back to 12". How easy is that?! Be confident. It is unlikely that you will kill your plant. Remember to plant your clematis lower than soil level and then if anything untoward should happen, it should sprout from under the ground. This is especially so if your prize specimen gets 'clematis wilt', a disease that does just that - wilts your clematis! Cut off all stems, burn, disinfect tools and hope that your plant revives from underneath. It should. Read more about this and other pests and diseases. So keep your plant tags, note the group number and prune accordingly, because they will need pruning at some stage. When you have done it once it is more than likely that you will remember for next time. If you are still not sure, there is one book that is worth its weight in gold when it comes to pruning and training. It is one of my gardening bibles, written by the Royal Horticultural Society. It's a real 'must have' for both the beginner and more experienced gardener, with exceptionally clear diagrams, easy instructions and excellent pictures. You can't go far wrong with this book to help! Follow the link to find the book: Also you can read an article on pruning clematis: Pruning Clematis
Choose plants inventively. Stamp your individuality on your garden, with eye-catching colours and combinations!
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