Leonie Cornelius on the diva plants of the garden
Gardens are exciting, everchanging ecosystems that never look the same two days in a row. Within this there are some plants that look good at most times of the year. Take rosemary, a shrub that gives valuable green to a winter space and looks striking even when not in flower.
Such plants are never the stars of the show, the wow-factor plants. The most striking flowers have their moment in the limelight then fade away for another year. Think of the cherry blossom, the peony and the clematis – or what I call the divas of the garden.
There is nothing subtle about these plants whch come in two kinds. The first offers large, showy bursts of colour like the stunning, ruffled heads of the peony. The other creates a showy effect by producing masses of flowers that merge to become one dress – like the Clematis montana whose floriferous nature makes it look almost like it’s wearing a soft pink wedding dress.
The clematis is an understated diva, more Maria Callas than Mariah Carey and even when covered in blossom, it still conveys a sense of elegance and calm. For most of the year, the flower – also known as ‘Old man’s beard’ – looks relatively unimpressive. Curling, beige-coloured branches, pretty but not noticeable, are bare in the winter months and when not in flower, carry subtle foliage which can be lime green, deep green or rich red-green in some cases.
Its name comes from the ancient Greek clématis, which means ‘a climbing plant’ and it certainly lives up to its name. The Clematis montana var. rubens ‘Pink Perfection’ is a rambling dream that can grow up to seven metres high and spread three metres wide with a heavenly scent when in full bloom in May and June.
Clematis can be divided into three groups with different characteristics and needs. Group 1, which the wonderful specimen pictured oppositeis in, is a relatively easy group to plant. They take very little pruning and in the right place can be left to scramble at will quickly to cover large areas.
Group 2 are the large-blooming hybrids which flower in May and June and need pruning in late winter or early spring and after their first flowering in early summer. The beautiful two-tone ‘Nelly Moser’ is one of these stunners, as is the rosette-like flower-filled ‘Belle of Woking’.
Varieties in Group 3 flower on the current season’s growth and flower in late summer. They are slightly more difficult to prune and most need to be pruned back to the lowest pair of healthy buds in late winter or early spring. The rich purple ‘Polish Spirit’ and the fluffy ‘Aljonushka’, with its cascading flowers, are both Group 3.
Wild clematis are native to China and came to Europe through Japan, where they were grown in the 17th Century. They are fantastic for covering fences, arches and unsightly walls but need a lit- tle support as they like to curl their tendrils around a trellis or mesh.