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 garden. Another of its attributes is that it does best grown out of strong sunlight – as I can attest.
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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