By no stretch of the imagination do I regard myself as a clematis expert, but I have found ‘Sugar Candy’ to be trouble free and robust despite the rather less than gentle handling it sometimes receives.
I made the number one mistake of planting it through a climbing rose* because I thought they’d look so good together. Well, indeed they do but I failed to remember that this clematis is in pruning group 2 which basically means it only requires tidying up in late winter and deadheading after it’s first flowering in early summer. However it’s companion (*Rosa ‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’) needs a thorough overhaul in late winter and here lies the conflict of interests, but it somehow survives this annual mauling and positively thrives!
This beautiful climber was introduced in 1994 and the large, single, pinkish-mauve flowers have a striking central stripe. It reaches about three metres in height and is a good choice for a smaller
The words pot, kettle and black come to mind as I don’t always get round to deadheading after it’s first flush, however look at the rich reward that followed my neglect – floral Christmas decorations in the summertime!
NB Louise has published a beautifully produced book of her plant profiles – A Plant for Each Week of the Year. It costs £9.99 and is for sale in our online shop here.
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2 replies on “Clematis ‘Sugar Candy Evione’”
I’ve just been reading your latest blog. I was so happy to see that the Scottish weather was kind for Caroline’s garden opening, and everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time there.
I totally agree with the method of propagating cuttings in water, as it is ridiculously easy and involves no cost. I have had success with different herbs: basil, mints, lavender, rosemary and Vietnamese coriander (Persicaria odorata), which I donate to everyone I can, as it is a universally useful herb which is hard to obtain, even from specialist herb nurseries. My proudest achievement was with oleander cuttings, 2 of which are now over 60cm tall and flowering! By the way, my experience is that the cuttings in water are more successful in dark china bottles/vases, rather than in clear glass. You are correct to warn that the new roots must be handled very gently, but the satisfaction when they start to put out new shoots is so rewarding. Please keep up the blog, as I always look forward to reading it every Saturday. Happy growing!
Sue this was such a helpful comment – regarding the china bottles/vases. It’s Caroline here and I have only ever tried cuttings in jamjars so definitely going to take your advice on board.Thank you! Yes our garden opening felt more like a festival – everyone so happy in the sunshine and our visitors were such interesting and interested people. I’d recommend every area/village consider doing one of these events – such as feelgood event! Thank you for your comments – it means a lot to us ❤️