Wealth In The Clematis

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 88, 13 April 1940, Page 9 (Supplement)

Wealth In The Clematis

W E about the clematis as I- , glibly as of the rose, yet how httle do we know. We have in °ur mind s eye the favourite purple Clematis Jaekmani that climbs the porch of many wayside cottages in England. Perhaps we have recollections of the exquisite white trails of the mountain clematis, or hazy memories °k e * "cb-blossomed" kinds that we have seen in gardens, but we know very little of the wealth °r beautiful flowers that the clematis family contains, or else we should surely make better use of them.

We may have one or another, and at certain times many, of the clematis in 00m from September onwards, and all are beautiful. Some yield a profusion of small blossoms, others give less freely of large handsome flowers.

Many amateurs fail to grow the clematis well because they have not grasped the essentials of its cultivation which, however, are simple enough. The pruning proves a difficulty that many never master, because they do not realise that there are several chief groups of clematis, each represented by many beautiful garden varieties, and that each variety requft-.es pruning according to the group to which it belongs. 1

Jackmani Most Popular The Jackmani group is most popular, and its varieties are those most generally grown; they bloom during late summer and early autumn. The common purple Jackmani is the most useful. It is the an< i the most free flowering of the lot. There are other good varieties, however. Two especially attractive are rubra and Madame Edouard Andre, both of reddish maroon colour. Jackmani alba, white, and Gipsy Queen, purple, are also to be recommended.

The Jaekmani varieties bloom on the current season's shoots; in other words, they have to make growth before they bloom. Thus the pruning is directed towards encouraging strong annual shoots, and must take place before fresh growth begins. Some growers prune in autumn, others in spring. Probably the spring is best, therefore prune clematis Jaekmani in September. The work is perfectly simple. All one has to do is to cut down the plant to within about a foot of the base. Very soon youningrowths push out from the old stems', and it is these young shoots that, in late summer, produce flowers.

The varieties belonging to the lanuginosa group come next in popularity and general usefulness. Their blooms* are larger and more handsome than those of the Jaekmani group, but they do not bloom quite so freely. The flowers are also l>orne on the new growths, and the pruning is somewhat the same as for the Jaekmani clematis; the only difference is that they must not be pruned so severely. The shoots need not be cut back more than half-way.

Other Varieties Two other groups may be associated with the lanuginosa clematis, viz., viticella and coecinea. Varieties of viticella are pruned like those of Jaekmani, while the coceinea group often prune themselves, dying down in the winter. Although the flowers of the viticella group are rather s-ma 11 they are freely produced in late summer and autumn. Venosa, white and purple; Ville de Lvon, reddish carmine; Thomas Moore, violet; and Alba, white, are good sorts. One of the finest of the coecinea group is Countess of Onslow, violet purple. All the above bear their flowers on the young shoots of the current season's growth. The other two chief groups to mention are the florida and patens. Varieties of these bloom 011 the old wood, and therefore require totally different pruning. The flowers are produced from October to December and the pruning is carried out as soon as the flowers are over. It consists in removing some of the older growths so that young shoots may have a better chance of reaching perfect development and maturity.

There are some particularly handsome sorts in both groups. The flowers are large and showy. The florida varieties include the exquisite Bell of Woking, double, silvery grey; Duchess of Edinburgh, double, white; and John Gould Veitch, double, blue. Good varieties belonging to the patens group are: Miss Batcman, white; Nellie Moser, pale rose with reddish bands; and Lad}* Londesborough, silvery grey. The varieties of the floridas and patens type arc usually grown against wolls, "and are we'll adapted for this method of cultivation.

Our Native Clematis Among the species of wild types of clematis our own native variety Clematis indivisa is one of the best. There are several other native varieties, some with small flowers of a yellowish colour, but none can equal the white-flowered Clematis indivisa. Seldom is this seen happy under cultivation, but just why, it is difficult to say—chiefly, perhaps, because people will try and transplant the plants from the bush. Far better to gather seed, sow it, and grow the seedlings on to flowering size.

If the seed is gathered when ripe and sown in ordinary garden soil it will soon germinate, and when the seedlings are large enough they can be transplanted and eventually planted out permanently. A little shade is necessary right along, but not dense shade; sufficient to break the direct rays of the sun is all that is necessary. Another excellent wild species is C. Montana with white flowers and its variety C. in. Rubens with red flowers.

In fact the majority of the clematis are worth a lot more attention than thev get. In addition to these there is the bush section of clematis. These are actually dwarf herbaceous plants. One of the best is C. davidiana with blue flowers in February. C. reetaj with white flowers in December and January, and C. iiitegrifolia with blue flowers in November. The growths of C. davidiana and intcgrifolia are strong enough to support themselves without any aid, but C. recta needs to be trained over some short supports, such as a low bush or a few sticks.