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Double Your Money with Clematis

© Graham Leatherbarrow

Well, February is upon us and the snowdrops are poking through, hellebores are coming into flower, early daphnes are joining the throng and cyclamen coum is braving the elements with those gorgeous, delicate magenta blooms. Things are certainly on the move. With all this plant growth around, it's difficult not to imagine spring has arrived, but winter has some way to go yet. In the meantime however, my preparation for spring continues. February is the month to prune existing clematis and to sit by a warm fire to choose new ones for the garden.

With over 300 hundred species to choose from the choice is virtually endless. Some are evergreen, but most are hardy and deciduous. Most clematis are climbers and will willingly twine themselves around almost any support except of course a flat surface, like a wall. Here, one is forced to use some kind of support, like a trellis or if you are feeling particularly energetic and know a thing or two about DIY (something I don't!) you can then construct an arch or even a pergola if time and space permit. The disadvantage of growing clematis in this way is very often one is left staring at bare stems, whilst all the flowers are bunched on the top. Looks great from the bedroom window, but at ground level I wonder!

Supports for Clematis

Clematis look more natural and certainly more exciting growing amongst established shrubs. Established is the keyword here — it is no use trying to grow a clematis up or through a new, young supporting shrub. This plant itself is still trying to get a foothold in your garden, and the last thing it wants is a competitor for light, nutrients and space at this early stage of its life. So choose shrubs that have been growing for a while in the garden. The other advantage of growing clematis in this way is that this method requires less training and tying-in of those delicate, brittle shoots, surely a plus in any gardener's book!

Some of the most attractive clematis that can by grown in this way are the many viticella hybrids and species. These have smaller but many more flowers than the large-flowered hybrids. They produce a very pleasing natural massed effect, especially when grown against other plant hosts. If the match is chosen carefully, both host and guest will compliment one another beautifully. This of course opens up opportunities for the more artistic amongst us in choosing colours that go well together. It also makes maximum use of space, having two plants growing together like this, one flowering early, the other late. Wonderful — I like combinations like that!

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