Val Bourne is dazzled by a garden with some small-flowered scramblers

Visiting an NGS garden the other day I was completely wowed by the Viticella clematis, small-flowered scramblers that looked completely delectable in early August when many things around them look tired and dry, a bit like me.

There must have been 30 or so scrambling over trellises and up fences, flowering their heart out, in varied shades of blue, pink and white. It reminded me of how easy and adaptable this type of clematis, evolved from a species found in southern Europe and in Mediterranean areas, is. It shrugs off dry weather, due to its provenance and never ever suffers from clematis wilt. It flowers on new wood, so a simple early spring prune back to the lowest buds it all it requires to thrive. It wants to grow too and life is too short to wrestle with ‘miffy’ plants.

The name viticella actually means small vine and these late-summer clematis do have a gentle habit and smaller flowers normally held on slender trembling stems. Flowers vary from open star to nodding bell and they’re informal, sometimes with a hint of green or a twist in the petals. They couldn’t be further from the dinner-plates some love, instead they are covered in dainty flower. Some can cover a vast area. The soft-pink pixie bells of the Swedish variety ‘Hagelby Pink’ covered four metres in the NGS garden I visited, although its vigour didn’t stop it being given an AGM in the RHS Wisley Viticella Group Trial held between 2009 and 2012. It was a delight to see.

Other first-time AGM winners in that trial were ‘Walenburg’, a star-shaped Dutch variety with four-petalled velvet-red flowers marked with a muted white middle that forms a subtle cross. The Cornish ‘Poldice’, a grey-blue starry flower raised by Roseland House National Collection and the larger-flowered purple-blue ‘Aotearoa’ also got the award as did Raymond Evison’s red-flushed, violet starry ‘Wisley’.

Old favourites had their awards reconfirmed. The grey-blue ‘Prince Charles’, a less vigorous clematis but with larger flowers than most, should be grown by everyone. The red-purple ‘Abundance’, the shade-tolerant full-flowered red ‘Kermesina’ and the gappy-petalled ‘Kermesina’ (a similar red in colour) also kept their award. There are pompom doubles too and the damson-red, rose-like flowers of ‘Purpurea Plena Elegans’ (said to be of Elizabethan origin) ensured its AGM remained in place, although the navy-blue ‘Mary Rose’ was passed over again.

I prefer the blues and violets and I’m pleased to say ‘Étoile Violette’, a gappy-petalled purple still has its AGM. The Clematis Society voted this their top clematis several years ago. It’s earlier than most viticellas, usually earlu July, and a very exciting colour. The purple petals set off the boss of light-gold stamens perfectly.

This is the clematis Christopher Lloyd wrote about in his book. On hearing the name ‘Étoile Violette’, a hard-of-hearing eavesdropper enquired what this clematis had to do with property leases? The listener had been convinced the plant was called Twelve-Year Let. The later ‘Polish Spirit’, a fuller purple flower, has one of the longest flowering seasons with an odd flower still around in October. It also kept its award.

I’ve grown most of these for years. However, recently, I’ve become fascinated by some smaller-flowered ones, inspired by the sight of ‘Little Bas’ on Wisley’s trial field. It has navy-blue pixie caps, made from satin, and these dangle on dark stems with turned up petals that display dark veins. My garden visit introduced to me some more lovelies and I overcame my Yorkshire money gene and ordered ‘I am Lady Q’ (a white and plum diffusion) ‘I am Little Beauty’ (a mauve-pink mixture) and ‘Minuet’ (a white with muted pink edges) from Taylors Clematis. It’s a good time to plant all clematis – once August wanes.

Suppliers: Taylors Clematis www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/01302 700 716; Thorncroft Clematis www.thorncroftclematis.co.uk/01953 850 407