Late Summer/Autumn Clematis'
I'm looking for recommendations for a late summer/autumn flowering clematis. Requirements are up to a max of 3 M height and spread and I intend to grow it in a large pot against a west facing wall. Colours: I'm thinking blue, purple or pink or maybe cream. Not red or bright yellow. I like the bell shaped ones and prefer these to the large flowered ones. I'm a relative beginner when it comes to clematis' so I would like one that isn't difficult. And any recommendations that include being beneficial to pollinating insects are especially welcome. Am I asking too much?
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
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One of my favourites is 'Rhapsody' one of the newer hybrids which flowers for ages, with wonderful deep purple-blue flowers. With this height you'd be looking at a non-prune, Group II clematis--that is, a large-flowered form. But recently there has been a lot of breeding work going on to produce new forms--Rhapsody is one. You could have a browse here:
http://www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/clematis-6-8ft-2-2.5m/
There is a new series that you see in the garden centres called 'Patio Clematis' by a French breeder. I have tried only a couple of these but have not found them to be particularly good 'doers'. I do have a slug problem, but in this case it was more that the flowers faded or died horribly and the plant lacked vigour. They are being very heavily touted now in garden centres but I am more cautious! Pretty in flower, less pretty in your garden.
Things to watch out for with the Group II clematis is that only some are good in the late summer (their main flowering is in May-June), and some suffer from clematis wilt. So you need to pick your variety carefully. I have grown or liked 'Comtesse de Bouchard', 'Madame Edouard Andre', 'Rosemoor', 'Rouge Cardinal', 'Will Goodwin'.
The real late summer stars are the viticella hybrids but these will mostly get a bit taller--I take it that you want something to cover the area up to 3 m, rather than shooting to 3 m and then spilling over! However Clematis viticella 'Mme Julia Correvon' is great. The viticellas do best grown through a shrub, while with the Group IIs you can put in a framework and they will ramble over it and cover it. In a tub I would think that would work better, since a shrub would compete for nutrients with your clematis and risk drying it out at the roots (hint: you'll need to make sure roots are shaded, even in a tub)
You can ignore all the macropetala, alpina forms in the above list as they may produce the odd flower in late summer but nothing more.
look at the texensis and viticella hybirds for later flowering types.
Don't try growing Clematis 'Montana' in a pot - it grows too big.
The red bell clematis is Buckland Beauty growing through a low obelisk, it is Texensis Group. Superb plant, no mildew problems.
The blue bell shaped flower is Hanna, Viticella Group.
The mixed planting shows different members of Viticella Group growing together.
All these plants flower July to September, reliably hardy, prune hard in Spring.
Lots more pictures if there is a particular colour you like.
Thanks all. I like Hanna, such a pretty colour and I have been looking at the texensis group; some are a bit bright but I like the look of Princess Kate and Buckland Beauty, also Etoile Rose. In my research I also came across one called Kaiu, which also looks nice; anyone know about that one?
This is Kaiu, shown on Gardeners World a couple of Fridays ago in Mike Browns garden, though not named. I grow this in a large clay pot with metal obelisk, lots of flowers, slight pink tinge.
Another stunner is Odoriba, the pink and white bell, growing in tandem here with a seedling of mine through a metal obelisk.
This is Morning Heaven, another member of the Viticella Group, seen here on our back trellis fence, masses of flowers, pale blue with soft pink bar inside.
The fence is only 6 ft high but the plant would reach 8 ft if it had something higher to cling to.
Spoiled for choice! Thanks Richard and Aym......My large weather boarded west facing wall, which I posted pictures of a few weeks ago; I have already planted 2 early clems on the right end. My thinking now is to plant two late flowering ones on the left end, both in a large clay pot each. You have given me much food for thought and I will make my decision soon. I like your suggestions (though I am not a great fan of the Roy Fam
). If you think any of these are too difficult for a relative beginner in clematis growing experience, please let me know, and I will choose easier ones.