Clematis Jackmanii Hybrid 'Joan Picton'

Soft, lavender blue flowers with a deeper edge. Growing to an impressive 15-20cm across, the blooms are wonderfully generous across compact growth. They flower for a long period and their soft, cool colouring is a welcome sight.

Clematis 'Joan Picton' was bred by Percy Picton of the UK in 1974. It is pruning group 2.

Jackmanii Clematis hybrids are gorgeous, large flowering Clematis. Their strong, vining tendrils are covered in flowers that look like brilliant jewels strung up in your garden. These blooms last for many weeks and even repeat across spring and autumn. Handsome, fluffy seed heads follow the blooms adding to the impressive show.

Clematis are perfect to soften harsh edges in the garden such as posts, pergolas fences and walls or even trees.

Clematis generally grow well where Roses flourish. They are also excellent in combination. You can use similar colours for a lovely blend or create some drama with contrasting shades. In fact, Clematis intermingle well with many plants, trees and shrubs especially as they use them for climbing up in a beautiful symbiosis. They are so versatile; you can even grow them in pots.

Jackmanii Clematis are deciduous climbers in pruning groups 2 or 3. They require a trellis/twine/wire or similar with something under that is thin enough to wrap their tendrils around.

The old adage is to plant your clematis so their 'head' is in the sun and their 'feet' are in the shade. In other words they like their root zone to be cool and protected, and the stem to grow up into a sunny position. You can protect the root zone with mulch and/or by using other plants to shield the roots from the sun.

Grow Clematis in humus rich, moist, well drained soil. They need good drainage or the roots can rot. Plant so they will receive around six hours sun a day and are shielded from the hot afternoon rays. To perform at their best they should be fertilised well, to do this you can use a Rose Fertiliser every three months or so. Clematis get better and better as they establish, so while the first season might be a bit ho hum, prepare to be amazed in the next.