Gardening
“A once ugly corner of the garden was transformed into a place of beauty”
Group 2 is more complicated, requiring the formation of a framework from which sideshoots are produced and group 3 is easy again, cutting back the previous year’s growth, 15-20cm above soil level. To start the year and bring us through
the gloom of late winter from January to March we can grow clematis cirrhosa. It has lovely little delicate cup-shaped flowers and is easy to look after with minimal pruning requirements. Alongside this is C. armandii which has the added attraction of being an evergreen with waxy white star-shaped flowers in contrast to its dark green glossy laurel-like leaves. Place C. armandii in a sheltered spot out of cold winds to allow maximum protection of the leaves and while it does not like to be trained, it will grow high – good for covering an unsightly building or for clambering. Slipping a little later into April is another evergreen, C. x cartmanii ‘Early Sensation’. This needs a bit of shelter otherwise the foliage can get a little knocked back if exposed to cold winds. All these are group 1 clematis. For the April to May period we have
the alpinas which have small, bell-shaped flowers. Alpinas also tolerate harsh winter conditions. Although their flowering period is during the usually clement spring weather, they flower on ‘old wood’ which means that after being cut back immediately post flowering, the new growth has to tough it out through the following winter in preparation for next spring’s floriferous show. The great thing about the alpinas is that they don’t have to be pruned at all and if left, the flowers turn into wonderfully fluffy seed heads giving interest to the winter garden. The macropetala group are similar to
the alpinas in many ways but tend to be double flowered. They can be treated in the same way and have similar growth habits and care requirements. These too are great for scrambling up fences and through trees and shrubs. In May we see the popular clematis
montana group, covering arbours and arches, climbing high, covering walls
Clematis x cartmanii ‘Early Sensation’
and reaching the eaves. C. montana is more vigorous than the alpinas and macropetalas and like them, do not need to be pruned. If however, they need to be contained, then they too must be cut back immediately after flowering. All the clematis mentioned so far are
group 1 clematis and all have small to medium sized flowers. But moving on to the summer flowering varieties we find the larger flowering hybrids and these fall into pruning group 2. There are some wonderful plants in this group and of course some excellent companions to the mid-summer borders now in full sway. However it is with this group that the notion of clematis’ being difficult to cultivate may have some bearing and certainly the novice grower may be better advised to start with the groups 1 and 3 (of which more below) until they feel
Clematis viticella at Longstock Park Nursery © Peter Moore
confident to tackle something a little more complicated. Many gardens tend to peak in early
summer and we then have long months wondering what we can do to inject some zest and sparkle back into the mix. Alongside the hybrids and taking us well into September, we then have the viticella group. These for the most part, make up group 3. Like the group 1’s before them, they are easy to grow in terms of pruning. To wrap up the end of the year we have C. ‘Bill MacKenzie’ which has vigorous growth and abundant bell-shaped yellow flowers followed by fluffy seed heads, a great climber to scramble up the limbs of an old apple tree for instance. To learn more about the wonderful
genus clematis, visit Longstock Park Nursery, here they hold one of the national collections of viticella, growing about 40 species along the long archway with more to be planted this spring within the walled nursery. On July 19th and August 16th RHS
recommended events are being held at the nursery, looking at the national collections of buddleja, clematis viticella and penstemon including tours and horticultural tips. Book in advance and see contact details below. SL
Longstock Park Nursery (Part of the Leckford Estate and Waitrose Farms), Longstock, Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20 6EH 01264 810894
www.longstocknursery.co.uk
Julia Brigdale is a local garden designer, see
www.julia-brigdale.co.uk tel: 01794 342472
www.mediaclash.co.uk Salisbury Life 55
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