Clematis Mrs N. Thompson

Clematis Mrs N. Thompson is a small variety with large beautifully coloured flowers that will have better colour in partial shade or against the light. Its beautiful violet corollas are adorned with wide reddish-purple median bands and a large cluster of red anther stamens. They bloom quite early in spring, and then more sporadically until the end of summer. With its modest growth, this small climber is perfect in all gardens or in a large container on terraces and balconies.

Clematis belong to the Ranunculaceae family. They are found in Europe, the Himalayas, China, Australia and North and Central America. The 'Mrs N. Thompson' variety, obtained in 1954 in England, is a perennial, semi-woody, climbing plant that will reach about 2.50 m (8ft) high, with a minimum spread of 1 m (3ft). This clematis bears large open, rounded, flowers 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4in) in diameter, on the current year's shoots from May-June until the end of summer, in successive waves. The flowers are solitary with 8 broad, bright violet tepals, adorned with a wide central band of reddish-purple. The centre of the flower is adorned with a beautiful crown of light stamens with purple anthers. The flowers are followed by decorative silvery grey feathery seed heads that persist until winter. The smooth leaves are divided into 3 elliptical to lanceolate, dark green leaflets. This clematis firmly clings to a support or host plant using petioles transformed into tendrils.

Plant clematis alongside your climbing roses ('New Dawn', 'Mme Caroline Testout', 'Zéphirine Drouhin') to extend the flowering of your walls and pergolas until the end of summer. It is a diverse genus with flowers of all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. 'Mrs N. Thompson' will pair well with the blue flowers of the Hudson River clematis, the violet ones of Romantika, the pink ones of Josephine, or the white ones of 'Miss Bateman', for example, to climb a fence or cover a wall exposed to the morning sun.

Tips: Avoid excessive fertiliser applications that stimulate foliage growth at the expense of flowers. Do not mulch to avoid excessive moisture.