Clematis Mon Amour

The Clematis 'Mon Amour' provides a generous flowering, well distributed along its stems, as well as an original and rare intensity of colour. From June to September, this small vine blooms in successive waves of medium-sized star-shaped flowers, with an intense blue-violet colour and a nuanced purple-pink middle zone. The centre of the flower, occupied by beautiful violet stamens, further accentuates the unique colour of the flower. This variety, with modest growth, fits anywhere in a small garden, or even on a terrace or balcony.

Clematis belong to the Ranunculaceae family. They are found in both hemispheres, particularly in Europe, the Himalayas, China, Australia, and North and Central America. The 'Mon Amour' variety, introduced in the Netherlands in 2004, was first presented at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2012. It is a particularly floriferous plant, perfectly perennial and hardy, climbing, reaching a height of 2m (7ft) quickly, with a spread of at least 1m (3ft).

This clematis bears star-shaped flowers 8 to 10cm (3 to 4in) in diameter that appear along almost the entire length of the current year's shoots, from June to September. The flowers are solitary or grouped in clusters and particularly abundant. They are erect and have 4 to 6 wide, thick and velvety sepals, with a beautiful combination of dark blue-violet and pink-red. The flowering is followed by decorative feathery silver-grey fruits that persist until winter. The leaves are of moderate size, pinnate, with ovate, glabrous leaflets, and are fairly dark green. This clematis clings to the support or host plant through petioles transformed into tendrils. The deciduous foliage falls with the first frost.

Clematis like to have their feet in the shade and their heads in the sun, as well as well-drained soils that remain moist. Plant your clematis alongside your climbing roses or vines to extend the flowering of your walls and pergolas until the end of summer. Climbing honeysuckles will also be good companions, with their light and often fragrant flowers complementing the large scentless star-shaped corollas. The Clematis genus is rich in diversity, with varieties available in all colours, shapes and sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. 'Mon Amour' loves to scramble through bushes and performs very well in a large pot.