This beautiful variety bears large, white flowers with contrasting purple filaments, flowering from May to June and again in September. Ideal for growing up a fence, trellis, pergola or arch, enjoying a full-sun location. Keep the roots cool and moist. Fully hardy. Height 3m, spread 1m. Supplied in 3 litre pots.
Clematis are climbing plants, so 'Tudor' Old Man's Beard should be grown against a wall or trellis. It can be placed in a flowerbed or patio container; provided it is given plenty of sunlight, it will grow well in most environments. The hardy shrub really comes into its own in May, when its flowers appear. These blooms have a pale pink tone, but each petal is adorned with a darker stripe in its centre. The stamens are a similarly striking red colour. As if this unusual pattern wasn't enough, the blooms are also remarkable in shape. Their wavy edges form ruffles where they curl inwards, making for an extremely interesting display. These flowers last until the late summer, so Clematis 'Tudor' is one of the longest-flowering plants of its kind. Height: 1.5m (4'11). Spread: 1m (3'3). Pruning group 2.
What an eye-catching plant! Clematis 'Rüütel' is not shy and is happy to show off it's single, deep red flowers in prolific abundance from July to September. The blooms are unusually large and flowers up to 20cm (8) across are very common. Maintenance is a doddle as all that is required is to cut back the stems to just above ground level each year. A strong climber, Clematis 'Ruutel' is compact but vigorous making it ideal for scrambling up fences, trellises, pergolas and walls or supported in containers. Height: 3m (10'). Spread: 1m (3'). Pruning group: 3.
Clematis 'Mikelite', which features deep mauve/purple blooms with a subtle dark stripe through each petal and creamy white anthers, looks outstanding when grown against dark green or even yellow shades. This hardy perennial climber is a modern viticella hybrid strain that is very easy to grow and maintain, flowering between July and September. It is perfectly suited to growing in pots and containers and can also be trained up a trellis or against a pergola; it is even happy to scramble through your other garden plants in the border. For an exceptional colour display, we recommend growing Clematis 'Mikelite' with a yellow-flowering Clematis or a climbing pink rose. Height: 2.5m (8' 2). Spread: 1m (3' 3). Pruning group: 3.
You can now enjoy true year-round interest with vibrant flower colour, brightly coloured berries and stems, tactile bark and wonderfully fragrant flowers - simply brilliant value for money compared to expensive, potted garden centre shrubs. These 12 tried-and-tested garden winners will fill any gaps you might have in your existing beds and borders or allow you to plant a new one from scratch, with each individual shrub having the potential to fill about 1m sq. (3-4ft sq.). Once planted they will rapidly grow and look tremendous from this year onwards, giving a stunning visual display and a degree of privacy and security for you, as well as a natural safe haven for a wide variety of wildlife. The berries will provide much-needed winter food for wild birds and the shrubby structure will offer cover and protection for them too. Varieties Include: Symphoricarpos albus: Known as the 'Common Snowberry' for obvious reasons! The berries provide much-needed winter food for wildlife. Grows to 90-120cm (3-4ft).Syringa vulgaris: The common Lilac produces fragrant, lavender-coloured blooms each May. Hardy and deciduous and great for hedging, it grows to 300-450cm (10-15ft) tall.Cornus alba: The 'Red-Barked Dogwood' provides fantastic autumn colour with its bright red vertical branches. In summer it leafs up and has soft pink flowers in mid-summer. Grows to 90-120cm (3-4ft). Potentilla Yellow: A tall, upright shrub with rich green foliage, smothered in beautiful yellow flowers from late spring to the first frosts. Robust and drought tolerant even in exposed conditions, it likes a sunny spot. Deadhead to keep the flowers coming and trim in autumn. Grows to 120-150m (4-5ft).Tamarix tetandra: Commonly known as the 'Tamarisk' or 'Salt Cedar', this upright, deciduous shrub or small tree has gracefully arching dark branches and needle-like foliage. A superb focal point, it produces masses of feathery plumes of tiny pink blossom from April to May. Holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Grows to 300cm (9ft).Spirea douglasii: Part of the rose family, it is often know as the 'Rose Spirea'. Easy to grow with masses of pretty pink flowers in early summer. Perfect for small spaces. Grows to 90cm (3ft).Forsythia intermedia 'Spectabilis': Literally one of the most spectacular early season shrubs because of its bright yellow bloom. Perfect for hedges and really easy to grow. Grows to 120-150cm (4-5 ft), although can be trimmed into a tidy hedge. Hypericum Hidcote: With masses of saucer-shaped, buttery yellow flowers from early to late autumn contrasted against lush, semi-evergreen foliage, it is compact and bushy and great for feature hedging. Holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Grows to 100-150cm (3-5ft). Deutzia scabra: Also known as the 'Fuzzy Deutzia', this native of Japan and China grows to about 250cm (8ft) tall and smothers itself in pure white fragrant flowers in June. Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea': A great hedging plant because of its spiky branches, but also a beautiful garden plant. The yellow flowers appear in late spring and the purple foliage provides lovely autumn colour. Grows to 90-120cm (3-4ft). Philadelphus coronarius: Commonly known as the 'Mock Orange', it will be clothed in a profusion of creamy white, fabulously fragrant flowers through June and July. Grows to 150-180cm (5-6ft).Weigela rosea: A lovely garden shrub, with fabulous pink flower colour in May, June and July. Grows to 90-120cm (3-4ft). Please note: these plants are supplied dormant and without leaves, looking more like dried twigs, and will establish in the ground over winter. They will not show signs of growth until the weather warms in spring, when they will burst into leaf.
Clematis 'Girenas' bears wide, soft pink flowers, each with an eye-catching crimped edge and a darker pink bar along the centre of each sepal. This compact variety is ideal for adding interest to a lightly shaded wall, where its colours will be protected from fading in the sun. An abundance of flowers are produced in June and July, with a second flush appearing in late summer. Height: 3m (10'). Spread: 1m (3'). Pruning group: 2.
'Brown Sugar' is a spectacular hardy Japanese Maple with leaves that change colour with the seasons. Young spring foliage emerges fresh and green before changing to a lovely, warm bronzy chocolate colour, then as autumn arrives the leaves transform to fiery red before falling. The stems are as colourful as the leaves too, turning bright red during summer and winter, setting off the foliage beautifully. Compact and slow-growing 'Brown Sugar' is an ideal specimen plant grown in a large pot, and a real eye-catcher on a patio or balcony. Preferring sun or light shade and slightly acidic soil, it's very easy to grow and almost maintenance free, a wonderful addition to your garden, bring almost year-round interest. Supplied as an established plant in a 19cm pot, reaching 2m (6½ft) in height and a spread of 1.5m (5ft).
Clematis 'Nelly Moser' is a unique variety, bearing large, soft pink flowers, each with an unusual dark pink central stripe and beautifully contrasting red anthers. The season of interest is extended into late summer by attractive seed heads that follow the blooms. Clematis 'Nelly Moser' is ideally situated on a north facing wall where its delicate colours will be somewhat protected from the fading caused by full sun. Height: 3m (10'). Spread: 1m (3'). Pruning Group: 2.
Clematis 'Kardynal Wsyzynski' features large dusky crimson single flowers, each with a grey-pink reverse and pink anthers. As the flowers age, they gradually fade to an attractive darker pink colour and their tidy star shape gives way to a more subtle outline. When the plant is mature, blooms are produced continuously from early summer all the way through until autumn. Clematis 'Kardynal Wsyzynski' is particularly stunning when grown in patio containers or trained up a large obelisk in the cottage garden. Height: 3m (10'). Spread: 1m (3'). Pruning group: 3.
This variety of Old Man's Beard produces flowers notable for their size. In June and July, Clematis 'Destiny' displays large, pure white blooms with contrasting purple anthers. You can then enjoy a second flush of these flowers in the late summer, which makes the hardy shrub a valuable source of long-lasting interest in any sunny cottage garden. Height: 1.5m (4'11). Spread: 1m (3'). Pruning group 2.
Although Clematis are best known for being climbing plants, this variety, a Clematis integrifolia hybrid, is content to grow in sunny borders or over steep banks rather than up a trellis. The flowers of Clematis 'Alionushka' are also unusual, forming attractive, bell shapes rather than the usual star pattern. However, their colour is just as bright as that of other Old Man's Beards; when the hardy perennial blooms in June, July, August and September, the mauve tone of its petals is sure to turn heads. Height: 2m (6'7). Spread: 1m (3'3). Pruning group 3.
During early summer Clematis 'Richard Pennell' will clothe walls, trellises and fences with an abundance of blue-purple blooms which can be up to 13cm (5) across. Later in the season, in September, when other plants are coming to the end of their 'time in the sun' Clematis 'Richard Pennell' will be back with another display demonstrating why this popular variety is a worthy holder of an RHS AGM for exceptional garden performance. Height: 3m (10'). Spread: 1m (3') Pruning group: 2.