Clematis Little Nell

Clematis 'Little Nell' is an old French variety derived from Clematis viticella, from which it inherited its robustness and good tolerance to bright shade. The single flowers of 'Little Nell' are small, but abundantly produced throughout the summer. Their pastel colours, in white and pink-mauve, as well as their slightly wavy texture, work wonders in slightly shaded areas or under a cloudy sky. This pretty climber is easy to cultivate in many regions, and its moderate growth is well-suited to small gardens.

Clematis belong to the Ranunculaceae family. They are found in Europe, the Himalayas, China, Australia, and North and Central America. The 'Little Nell' variety was obtained in Lyon in 1915 by Francisque Morel. It is descended from Clematis viticella, native to southern Europe and known for its natural resistance to clematis wilt. It is a perennial, semi-woody, climbing herbaceous plant, which can reach an average height of 2.50 m (8ft) (sometimes over 3 m (10ft)), with a minimum spread of 1 m (3ft). This clematis bears well-opened flowers, which can reach 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3in) in diameter on the current year's shoots in successive waves from June to the end of summer. The flowers are solitary or grouped in small clusters. They have 4 wide, wavy, more or less curled, well-separated tepals, with a crinkled texture. Their basic colour is a creamy white with a slight pink tint, and they have a wide mauve to tender pink border. The centre of the flower is adorned with a beautiful crown of creamy white stamens with light brown-mauve anthers. The smooth leaves are divided into 3 elliptical to lanceolate, olive-green leaflets. The foliage dries up in winter. This clematis attaches itself to a support or host plant through petioles transformed into tendrils.

Plant clematis alongside your climbing roses ('New Dawn', 'Pomponella', 'Bouquet Parfait'), to extend the flowering of walls and pergolas until the end of summer. This is a diverse genus with flowers of all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of their ease of cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. 'Little Nell' will pair well with the pink flowers of other small clematis like 'Patricia Ann Fretwell' or 'Little Mermaid', for example, to climb a fence or cover a wall exposed to the morning sun.

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