Have you ever thought about growing a border clematis, free to nestle prettily between the rest of your herbaceous plants or scramble happily over the ground?
You needn’t just grow clematis restricted to walls, trellis or obelisks on their own – choose certain species and they can mix nicely with everything else.
Ensure the area around the clematis is enriched with rotted manure or compost and a handful of bonemeal in the planting area, then dig a hole deeper than the size of the pot.
Tease the roots well, so they loosen up, and then plant your clematis three inches deeper than the top of the container’s compost. Backfill and add in some slow release food tablets such as Osmocote for good measure – they’re hungry plants!
Water really well and, if you’re growing it in an area that gets baking hot, mulch around the roots with bark or similar to keep it cool.
Here are some more varieties to try, all of which are herbaceous (or semi-herbaceous) and grow low or upright as other perennials, with little need for support.
GN recommended clematis
C. heracleifolia ‘Cassandra’
Deep blue, hyacinth-like blooms, strongly scented with erect stems. Flowers from July to September.
C. integrifolia ‘Alba’
A gorgeous scrambling low-grower in pure white with a greenish tinge. Bell-shaped blooms with sizeable foliage.
C. integrifolia ‘Rosea
Small, nodding pink blooms and low-growing. Has an RHS AGM and is perfect to grow in a pot
C. heracleifolia ‘New Love’
Self-supporting bush form of reflexed, blue star blooms with a touch of romance. A lovely fragrance.