Summer clematis

Easy-to-prune group 3 clematis should be every gardener's first choice for colourful summer climbers, says Graham Rice

- Graham Rice

THERE are more than 3,000 clematis varieties, so it can be a puzzle deciding which of the many types to grow. And, although they vary from quietly intriguing to outrageously flamboyant, each one has something special about it - and they all cling to their supports reliably.

So let's narrow it down to those varieties of clematis that combine a long season of colourful flowers with a dependably undemanding nature and simple, easy-to-follow pruning. Top of the list come the large-flowered, easy-toprune, summer-blooming varieties sometimes referred to as group 3.

Opening their flowers from midsummer into autumn, these include varieties of Clematis texensis, C. tangutica and C. viticella, plus those referred to as the late large-flowered group. You'll come across these terms on nursery websites.

Traditional group 3 clematis

Varieties of group 3 clematis were first developed more than 150 years ago and have been improving ever since. Some of the earliest to be created, including the world famous 'Jackmanii', are still with us, in spite of being outclassed by more recent arrivals.

Modern group 3 clematis

First seen in the late 1960s, some varieties have quickly become recognised as modern classics. There are no rules about which are better traditional classics or modern classics. Suffice it to say that traditional varieties that have been around a century or more are not necessarily dependable just because they're still grown. And modern classics are not necessarily better just because they're new.

6 traditional classic clematis

'Comtesse de Bouchaud' AGM