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Pink Champagne™ (‘Kakio’) is one of the earliest large-flowered clematis to bloom. As the name implies, this variety boasts bubbly, bright pink tepals with pale centers and bright yellow stamens. Pink Champagne™ is a strong climber with a fairly narrow expanse, meaning it works well in tight spaces. I grow this variety alongside my garden gate in a cramped space that is less than a foot wide. The stems shoot straight up, making a beautiful pink exclamation point. -Richard Hawke, Big blooming clematis, Fine Gardening issue #146

When I first saw the crimson flowers of Rüütel™ (‘Kiviruut’) in 2009, I was like a wide-eyed kid experiencing a Christmas miracle. It’s truly a luscious color. The 7-inch-wide flowers feature deeply grooved tepals with ruffled edges and similarly colored stamens, which give it a monochromatic look that I love. Rüütel™ blooms from late spring to midsummer on stems that only reach 6 feet tall, making it perfect for small patios where the luxuriant blossoms can be viewed up close. -Richard Hawke, Big blooming clematis, Fine Gardening issue #146

A clematis doesn’t have to be big to be bold. Picardy™ (‘Evipo024’) epitomizes this rule; its compact habit certainly doesn’t restrain the boldness of the vivid, violet-red flowers. This is no shrinking violet! Picardy™ is free flowering and often reblooms into late summer. Topping out at 5 feet tall, its petite size is suitable for containers and for small patios where larger clematis would be overwhelming. -Richard Hawke, Big blooming clematis, Fine Gardening issue #146, page 47

 

'Princess Diana' is a steady bloomer from midsummer into early fall. Its compact habit makes it a good choice for large containers, but it will be just as happy in your perennial border.

Information provided by Brushwood Nursery


 

Sapphire Indigo is a non-climbing clematis that is covered in early summer with deep violet blooms that repeat bloom all summer long. -Star Roses

Double-flowered plants aren’t always my cup of tea; there’s something a bit fussy looking about them. But I make an exception for ‘Teshio’. Its spiky, double, lavender-blue flowers, stretching to 5 inches wide, are reminiscent of the venerable ‘Belle of Woking’ clematis, albeit darker. It’s fun to watch the spidery tepals unfurl—a bit haphazardly, at first, but eventually morphing into a pretty, well-structured blossom. ‘Teshio’ is a fairly strong bloomer from late spring to early summer, sometimes reblooming later in summer. It maintains a compact, bushy habit, reaching 7 feet tall, and is perfect for containers or patio plantings. Clematis is a great cut flower, and the spidery blossoms of ‘Teshio’ create quite a buzz in a floral arrangement. -Richard Hawke, Big blooming clematis, Fine Gardening #146, page 51

‘Viola’ is, in a word, sumptuous. The velvety, dark purple flowers are exceptional in their profusion and richness. This is a vigorous vine, reaching 10 feet tall, but climbs reasonably well without too much assistance (unlike some other large clematis varieties). Although we grew ‘Viola’ on a chain-link fence—ho hum—I always imagined its richly colored flowers more splendidly displayed against a silvery blue conifer or perhaps intertwined with a pearly white–flowered ‘Huldine’ or a rosy ‘Margot Koster’ clematis. -Richard Hawke, Big blooming clematis, Fine Gardening issue #146, page 50

(2 user reviews)

'Nellie Moser' is easy to grow, producing large, flat flowers 6 to 8 inches in diameter with distinctive, gleaming lilac bars on each petal. This clematis blooms from May to late June, with a second, less profuse bloom in mid-August. Planted in a shady spot, the cheery pink-and-mauve-striped blossoms last for weeks instead of days.

(1 user review)

Alpine clematis is one of the earliest clematises to bloom, in early May. It bears relatively small but delightful nodding, bell-shaped flowers, 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter, in a great variety of colors.

A deciduous climber native to the southeastern United States, Clematis crispa bears lavender-blue, bell-shaped flowers with curly edges in summer. Its blooms are not profuse, but their elegant shape makes this plant a good choice for trellises, growing through shrubs, or planting in damp areas. The flowers are slightly fragrant and are followed by attractive seedheads. It also makes an unusual cut flower.

(1 user review)

Clematis integrifolia is a herbaceous, woody-based, upright, non-climbing perennial with a dense and somewhat sprawling habit. It bears solitary, nodding, bell-shaped flowers with slightly twisted violet to blue sepals and creamy white anthers from May to July. Sporadic blooming sometimes occurs throughout the summer. Blossoms mature to attractive, feathery, silver-green, or silvery brown seed heads.

Clematis integrifolia is no longer only blue. This selection produces progeny with pink, white, and lavender blooms from midspring until late summer. The flowers are followed by attractive seed heads in fall. It has a compact, herbaceous form and grows to just 10 to 14 inches tall.

(1 user review)

Downy clematis is a hardy, deciduous early bloomer that can flourish in Zone 4. The species will climb to 10 feet with a little support, and it has bell-shaped, purple-blue, almost columbine-like flowers about 1 to 2 inches, sometimes up to 4 inches in diameter, that mature to fluffy, pinkish seed heads. Blooms appear in spring and early summer, sometimes followed by a second flush in late summer to early autumn

Piilu™ (‘Kivso’), which translates as “little duckling,” has pretty bicolored flowers with pale purplish pink margins and deep pink central bars. I’m particularly impressed by its prodigious flower production—it’s one of the most floriferous clematis I’ve ever grown. The open-faced flowers, 3 to 4 inches wide, are produced from early to late summer and are nicely distributed over the entire plant. The early flowers are supposedly semi-double, but I’ve only seen single flowers on our plants. This is a strong climber, reaching 6 feet tall with a narrow but full habit. For pruning purposes, Piilu™ blooms on old wood, so it can be lumped into group 1 or 2. This also means that it will flower earlier if there is no winter injury to the stems. -Richard Hawke, Big blooming clematis, Fine Gardening #146, page 51

(1 user review)

'Golden Tiara' is a vigorous, late-flowering climbing vine to 15 or 20 feet tall with intense golden-yellow, bell-shaped flowers that eventually fully open to reveal crimson filaments. It blooms profusely from midsummer to late fall. The seedheads are fluffy and attractive in their own right. Native to western China.

(7 user reviews)

This deciduous, late-flowering twining vine with deep green leaves and profuse, fragrant white flowers is easy to grow and will thrive and bloom in shade. Star-shaped blossoms are 1 inch across, appearing from late August to October and maturing to attractive, plume-like seed heads. The shiny green foliage is leathery.

This vigorous climber can easily cover a support of 8 to 10 feet tall once established. Finely textured, dense light-green foliage makes an excellent foil for dainty, pink and carmine teardrop-shaped flowers 2 inches across. Blooms appear in early August and continue well into autumn.

'Alba Luxurians' is a very tough, late-flowering climber with small flowers that open from midsummer to late autumn. White blossoms are sometimes faintly tinged with mauve when young, and are open, bell-shaped, single, and 2 to 3 inches across. Foliage is slightly gray-green.

Umbels of pink, white, or fuchsia blossoms make spider flower a beloved addition in any border. It's reseeding habit can be a boon or curse, depending on how you like your plants to behave.