Celebrating the clematis

I THINK my very favourite plant in the garden this year has been a clematis.

They are lovely garden plants, often flowering for long periods of time and asking very little in return. They go well with roses, can cover a wall, climb a tree or fit snugly into a border with other herbaceous plants.

I have several clematis in my garden and at least one from each group. There are three groups of clematis: group one is the late winter, early spring flowering ones, like montana; group two flower in summer and has large, showy blooms, group three is the later summer/early autumn flowering clematis such as the viticella types. The first group is mostly quite vigorous and can cover the sides of houses, sheds, walls and can scramble up dead trees in a short space of time. They flower prolifically and should be cut down once finished. The flowers come on new growth so the shoots that grow after cutting will bear next year’s flowers.

Group two has the showy ones that stay smaller, have often huge blooms, go well with roses and come in hundreds of shades. Some are delicately scented, some have flat open petals, others have trumpet shaped or pointed petals.

There are single blooms or double blooms, but the foliage generally is similar, with two leaves opposite each other. This group should be cut down in late winter/very early spring as they flower on the present season’s growth.

The third group has smaller flowers that come profusely and last a good while. These plants need pruning in early spring as they can be very vigorous and all the flowers come at the top of the plant if not pruned quite hard back.

Clematis have few problems. Clematis wilt, a fungal disease is one where the plant becomes sad and limp; this can be fatal but if caught early it can be treated. Clematis like something to climb on, feeding with tomato feed during flowering and cutting back at the right time. Other than this they are wonderful, undemanding plants that have much to give.