Ernest Markham Clematis

Clematis come in many kinds, and colors, and to have a wonderful garden plant a range of them. Some varieties are perfect for color in late summer and into fall – like the Ernest Markham Clematis, a superb choice. It carries a profusion of flowers starting in July and continuing right into October – exactly when much of your garden is simply green. The beautiful lobed foliage grows rapidly into a self-supporting screen up to12 feet tall in a single season, and the flowering will blow you away. Hundreds of flowers up to 6 inches across are a gorgeous deep purple-pink to carmine-red, with attractive brown stamens decorating the center of each bloom. Exact flower color is influenced by sun exposure and temperatures. You won’t believe just how lovely it is, and what a great impact it will have. Grow it on trellis panels against walls or fences, or on free-standing trellis pyramids among your shrubs. Use it to clothe a pergola or gazebo, or just let it scramble over an established shrub – it is especially beautiful growing into a climbing rose.

• A profusion of 4-6 inch flowers or purple-pink to carmine red
• Continuous blooming from July into October
• Self-supporting as it grows into trellis, pergolas or larger shrubs
• Enjoys ‘head in the sun, feet in the shade’ for best growth
• Simple hard pruning in spring – grows 6 to 12 feet in a season

The Ernest Markham Clematis enjoys plenty of sun, but it likes cool roots, so plant it behind another shrub so that the lower parts are shaded. If you can’t do that, then place a flat rock over the root-area. In hot zones some afternoon shade will prevent the flowers from fading. It will also grow moderately-well in light shade, but not too much. A well-drained, rich soil is best, and clematis like alkaline soils. If your soil has a pH of less than 6.5, add a handful of garden lime when preparing the planting soil. Water new plants regularly, and established ones during dry spells. This is a group 3 clematis variety, so it should be pruned hard in spring. Wait until buds are swelling and then cut back all the stems to just above a pair of strong buds between 6 and 12 inches above the ground. Deer and rabbits don’t eat clematis, and they usually don’t have pest or disease problems.