Worth getting to know

A remarkable newcomer, Clematis Green Passion (left) is exhibited by Thorncroft Clematis (GPA147). Large and double, its flowers appear twice a year, in early summer and autumn. In the first flush, the petals are packed and runner-bean green, with silver-fleeced reverses; in the second, they’re more open and grass-stained white. Many gardeners have little liking for green flowers, but it’s a taste worth acquiring. They work magic when paired with strong mauves and indigo-purples. I could see Green Passion held up on sticks in a terracotta pot growing with Salvia Caradonna; or in the ground, as a backdrop to Rosa Rhapsody in Blue or tangling with Rosa Veilchenblau.