Clematis Viticella 'Polish Spirit'

A stunning display of purple flowers summer through to autumn makes this a cottage gardening treat. Simple to grow, once established 'Polish Spirit' it will easily cover for a pergola, over fences or garden walls.

It holds the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit so you know it can be relied upon with little fuss and is a good beginner’s choice.

Bred by Polish Jesuit monk, Brother Stefan Franczak in the 1980’s, and was introduced internationally by Raymond Evison in the 1990’s. There is a bit of controversy as to whether it should be in the Jackmanii or Viticella group as the parentage is unknown.

Growing Viticella Clematis will have you looking like an expert green thumb without any of the hard work!

Viticella Clematis are easy, hardy and will establish quickly. The flowers are small but there are LOTS of them, they literally cover the tendrils. They are more heat tolerant and so will take more sun than the larger flowering varieties of Clematis and the cut flowers will even last well in a vase.

Viticella Clematis flower spring to autumn on the current seasons growth, so pruning is simple, just cut them back hard early spring, and they will soon shoot up with new growth. Pruning Group 3. They are also commonly known as Italian Clematis.

Clematis tends to grow well where Roses flourish. They are also excellent in combination. You can use similar colours for a lovely blend or create some drama with contrasting shades. As a point in fact, Clematis intermingle well with many plants – trees and shrubs especially as they can be used for climbing in a beautiful symbiosis. They are so versatile; you can even grow them in pots.

The old adage is to plant your clematis so their 'head' is in the sun and their 'feet' are in the shade. In other words they like their root zone to be cool and protected, and the stem to grow up into a sunny position. You can protect the root zone with mulch and/or by using other plants to shield the roots from the sun.

Grow Clematis in humus rich, moist, well drained soil. They need good drainage or the roots can rot. Plant so they will receive around six hour’s sun a day and shield from the hot afternoon rays. To perform at their best they should be fertilised well. Use a Rose Fertiliser every three months or so.