Species Clematis 'Sir Trevor Lawrence'

Purple red tulip bells with four to six reflexed tepals. Long blooming with an abundance of flowers from midsummer well into autumn. The reverse has hints of white that deepen with age. Each flower is around 5cm across and tends to face outward.

Clematis ‘Sir Trevor Lawrence’ is a heritage variety that has certainly stood the test of time. Introduced by Arthur Jackman (UK) in 1890, it was named for the head of the RHS at the time. A cross of Clematis texensis with C. ‘Star of India’.

This Clematis is pruning group 3, so when the flowers finish you simply prune to around 30cm.

Clematis tend 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.