A clematis can. It flowers at least from spring to fall, it’s ideal for a small garden and it essentially never gets woody. So why aren’t our gardens filled with colorful, small-sized, light, airy clematis?
Perhaps it is clematis’ reputation as a difficult plant to grow that has suppressed its popularity.
Clematis come in almost every size, shape and color, but by far, the most popular are the medium- to large-flowered hybrids. Nurseries are filled with clematis right now and because most are in full bloom, this is the perfect time to choose the variety that is right for you.
When you begin your search for the right clematis you will quickly be drawn to the extra-large flowers of varieties like “Nelly Moser,” “General Sikorski” and “Will Goodwin.” Like a magnet, big double-flowered hybrids will command the attention of every clematis shopper.
But when asked, I usually suggest that gardeners new to clematis start with one of the many selections of a species called Clematis viticella. Specific varieties to look for right now at nurseries are “Etoile Violette” (deep violet), “Madame Julia Correvon” (wine red), “Alba Luxurians” (white), “Blue Angel” (light blue) and “Polish Spirit” (purple blue). All of these are bred from my favorite Southern California species, Clematis viticella.
The notion that clematis are difficult is undeserved. If you can grow a rose, a foxglove, a hydrangea or a delphinium, you can grow a clematis, especially one of these easy-to-grow Clematis viticella selections. In fact, with their complimentary flower colors and habits, each of these popular plants make great clematis companions.
