Product Description

The viticella clematis is an undiscovered garden treasure - abundant, vigorous and varied in appearance, easy to grow and maintain. They are the perfect starting point for growers new to the clematis, and an inspiring presence in any garden. 'A garden plant second to none', in the author's words. The standard Large Flowered varieties of clematis, being easier to display in orderly garden centres, completely dominate in the commercial market. Viticellas, by comparison, are easier to grow, vigorous, hardy and completely resistant to the threat of Clematis Wilt (Stem Rot) which is a consistent obstacle to the growth of healthy Large Flowered clematis plants. This book is the only one on this subject, and offers a valuable practical guide to viticellas, leading the reader through the varieties of small, medium and large blooms, and explaining the route to successful growth. The striking impact of the viticella combined with the ease of cultivation offers exciting prospects for gardeners.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2417319 in Books
• Published on: 1999-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 191 pages

Customer Reviews

A must-read of Clematis lovers!
Of the 20 or so books that I have on Clematis, this is one of my favorites because it explores a kind of Clematis about which most gardeners have limited knowledge: the so-called smaller-flowered types (although many are not so small) that are not susceptible to clematis wilt, the scourge of the large-flowered varieties. The common viticellas are listed alphabetically, with colour photogragraphs of the the buds and the foliage as well as of the flowers, for easier identification. An appealing feature is that there are numerous plates showing similar coloured flowers side-by-side for reference and easy comparison. This book opens up a whole new world of Clematis growing.

Trouble focusing
This book had promise. The author did a fine job of presenting this wonderful family of plants, but the photography was the worst I have ever seen in a published work. I quit counting the out-of-focus pictures just a short way into the book, and they already numbered 20. I skimmed ahead, and sure enough, there were more. Many more.

Truly incredible...

I very rarely return a book, but this one is going back.

A MUST READ for first time clematis growers & clematarians.
Thorough and interesting explanation of this outstanding Clematis genus. User friendly terminology, clearly defining all aspects of the Clematis Viticellas. A chapter on Clematis cultivars; a chapter on cultivation details what easy plants these are to crow; A chapter containing a full discussion of displayed Clematis Viticella sets forth excellent examples and achievable ideal supports, climbing techniques and placement with various hosts. Seasonal details are excellent. The history, interesting details, comparisons to other Clematis as well as the pertinent footnotes makes for great reading. The photographs of garden growing plants are good and reflect invaluable advice on the use of colours.
I find this book to be the most informative of the Clematis books whether new at growing this vine or an experienced grower. It will be kept close at hand