Doing well in my garden at the moment is Clematis ‘Mme Julia Correvon’. This isn’t one of the showiest – in fact, the dusky pink flowers would be almost lost were they not carried at head height and just above, inviting an upward glance.
This is one of the so-called viticellas, with flowers that are far daintier than the large-flowered types. They repay study. The petals are narrow but substantial in texture and twist back on themselves, so that no two flowers are exactly alike. I cannot claim that mine is trained – instead, I allow it to wander through another shade-lover, the climbing hydrangea (H. petiolaris; interestingly, this still has flowers on it), and from there into a spotted laurel (Aucuba ‘Crotonifolia’) and up into the branches of an old apple tree. The flowers are well spaced (sparse, in other words), but they bring subtle interest to a rather dank part of my garden.
'Mme Julia Correvon' - one of the late-flowering clematis hybrids
As a viticella, this belongs to the Group 3s – in other words, you cut it hard back in late winter. At least, you are supposed to, but I cannot remember when I last pruned mine, and have no plans to start doing so.
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