Clematis Bells Collection

Choose a sunny or partially shaded site. In full sun, shade the base of your plant with a ground cover plant or perennial geranium. Clematis plants like to keep their feet cool. Install your plant by covering the root ball with 3 cm (1in) of soil, in ground that has been worked to a depth of 20 cm (8in), and lightened with a good potting soil. During the first few weeks, water abundantly and regularly. Clematis plants are self-climbing thanks to their tendrils. To promote their growth, provide them with a trellis or let them dress the trunk of a tree by placing a wire mesh round it. Clematis plants also like to grow freely on neighbouring plants. To successfully grow a hanging clematis, you need a deep and wide container (depth of 25 cm (10in), minimum diameter of 40 cm (16in)). Plant in a good potting soil mixed with garden soil and a dose of slow-release fertiliser such as dried horn or dehydrated blood. At planting, prune the plant if necessary and as soon as the lianas (creeping tendrils) emerge, wrap them around the support, sending them upwards, but without tightening too much to avoid breaking them. The twists introduced in the stems will stimulate flowering. Water very regularly as the plant should not suffer from thirst, and apply special clematis fertiliser every 15 days during the growing season.