The flowers of the clematis would have to be one the most beautiful and showy of all. The color range extends from white, through pale to mid pinks, vivid purples to magenta and carmine and they extend up to 9 inches across. They must be seen to be believed.

Clematis has been around since the 16th century at least, but made a sizzling comeback in the 1990s with 2,500 hybrids.

Clematis is traditionally considered to be a deciduous climber but there are evergreen varieties available and some are not climbers. In fact, Richard Pennell with its purple/pink flowers, Warsaw Nike with purple velvet flowers and Clematis macropetala Jan Lindmark, an early bloomer are all good container specimens. They even grow in zones 4-9.

Edith Malek, founder of the American Clematis Society, declares that clematis have an undeservedly bad reputation. They will grow more easily than most people believe. Their main requirement is moisture, thought he root ball does not have to be constantly soaked, as some believe. A 2-inch thick layer of organic mulch will keep the roots moist and cool. If roses grow in your area, so should clematis.

It is advisable to buy the largest plant you can get when purchasing clematis, because young ones are subject to wilt and rarely recover if they get it. If a mature plant is affected, it will usually grow again from the roots, which have become strong and extensive by then.

The clematis flower is very showy, with large blooms almost smothering the vine. It will last nearly a full four weeks, but if you grow several different varieties, you can have blooms in the garden from spring through to fall. While the larger flowered varieties are popular, the small flowered clematis have a charm all of their own. Once you start on your clematis journey youll become addicted to these versatile plants.

One of the longer blooming varieties is Barbara Johnson with flowers of purple and magenta up to 7 inches across. It will bloom from early spring to the end of summer. Ramona is a vigorous 10ft climber with lavender blue flowers, while Clematis Viticella Madam Julie Correvon has smaller, wine-red flowers of 4 inches, but will grow to 12 foot long in the sun.

Pale flowered varieties are best grown in bright shade. If you have hot summers, morning sun is best for them. Dig a hole about 2 feet deep and plant them with their crowns 3-5 inches below soil level. Water often. Established plants need 1- 4 gallons of water per week.