The flowers are tiny, but incredibly numerous where it gets enough sun. This one will grow in shade, but will not flower well unless it can stick it's head out into the sun for at least a half a day. It's also quite fragrant, scenting the garden when in full spate.
Feeding, Pruning, Etc.
All clematis are greedy feeders. Give them the same kind of soil you'd give a rose, rich and organic. Don't use time release fertilizers on them, they are among a select group of plants who do not do well with time-release fertilizer. Organic fertilizers, such as fish emulsion and kelp provide micronutrients or you can use 5-10-10 in early spring as growth commences. Don't fertilize after July or new growth will be subject to winter injury. Much has been written about their requiring lime. This really is not so. They will grow in about any soil pH, but they must have good drainage and rich feeding to do well. They will not stand drying out, so if your soil is sandy, you will need to keep an eye on them and water copiously.
Clematis flowers are good for cutting, lasting up to ten days in a vase. You can also grow many of them in containers. The large flowered hybrids are particularly good for this, since many do not grow as tall as some of the species. If you grow them in containers, you must be able to protect the container in winter. Either plunge it in a sand or mulch holding bed, or pile of wood chips; dig them into a garden bed or wrap them well to insulate the roots so they don't freeze. I have read that clay is preferable to plastic for containers as the plastic tends to heat up more in the sun and these plants like a cool root run.
The more vigorous vines will require adequate support since they get quite heavy, so make sure your trellis is sturdy enough to take them. They will need training to begin climbing, but once they start to grab on to the support you offer you will only need to check them periodically to make sure no stems have gone astray. You can grow them up into shrubs and trees to great effect, just make sure the host is mature and sturdy enough to take its guest.
Pruning is a confusing issue with these vines. They are generally divided into different groups who require pruning at different stages of their growth. In truth, you can never prune your vines and they will survive and flower for you. However, you will eventually end up with an unsightly tangle of dead stems and a grand mess. Clematis put forth more stems each season than they can support, so many simply die off, creating incredible internal congestion in the more vigorous vines.
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