It's particularly pleasing to see this Clematis 'Pilu' in flower. Not because of the multitude of palm-sized shades of pink flowers, or the fact that it's flowering at shoulder height in a container, or the lush green growth.
No, the main reason I'm particularly pleased is because this time last year this plant was a very sorry state indeed. It had been in the same pot for about 5 years, and had simply run out of steam. So, in the depths of later winter, I was out removing the spent compost, washing the roots and re-potting in some of my home-made compost. I was very unsure if it would regrow, never mind produce so many flowers!
On the other hand, this darker Clematis is one called 'Warszawska Nike'. I bought it two years ago, and it has certainly provided plenty of summer colour in that time. In the spring I put 5-6 shovels of home-made compost at its base. I have it growing up a tri-pod of canes and it makes a lovely feature in the mixed border in the back garden. Slugs and snails are always a concern, however some beer traps and some organic slug pellets have proved their worth.
The third Clematis in the garden, and flowering nicely too is one called 'Blue Angel. Similarly to 'Pilu', I completely revamped the soil it was growing with rewarding results.
Of course, like any plants in containers, they have to be well watered with this dry weather, and Clematis particularly love their roots to be in shade.
Being within half a kilometre of the sea, the site we're on here is windy, even on the calmest of days, so I wasn't sure at one point if the Clematis would grow. I'm encouraged with the success to date, and will venture another variety or two over the summer. Any recommendations?
Happy gardening.
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