Introducing our ‘Plant of the Month’ for April – Clematis ‘Taiga’, and what a treat it is!
April is an important time for gardeners as many of us are busily working away outside to ensure beautiful displays erupt across the coming months.
So, for a spark of inspiration for a delightful variety to grow this year, what could be better than the deciduous climber that took the 2017 Chelsea Flower Show by storm? If you don’t already know about ‘Taiga’, then you certainly will soon. Visitors at the pinnacle gardening event even voted this Clematis as the ‘most admired’ variety on show that year.
An exceptional display of fully double flowers emerges, fairly like the ever-popular cactus dahlias, yet stretching up to 10cm across each. The petals are a superb shade of purplish blue, each delicately tipped in a splash of lime cream.
The blooms open slowly, forming a spiked effect and developing into gloriously exotic rosettes, flowering early in the season, and persisting all summer long!
Unusual, eye-catching, and an all-round statement plant – this Clematis is the outside-of-the-box variety you have been searching for. In fact, it will even stretch up an obelisk when grown in a large container or will happily sprawl up a trellis or pergola when in a border.
Easy to care for, and pruning is so simple, there really are few excuses not to grow this one!
Tempted to try it for yourself? We have done all the hard work for you and put together a step-by-step guide to growing, so you will have an impressive Clematis to show off, before you know it!
Growing and Caring for Clematis ‘Taiga’
- Clematis are known for enjoying a cool ‘root run’, so try to plant in a position where the roots are shaded. When in a sunny spot, place pieces of slate or flat stones on the soil after planting or place alongside groundcover plants to cool the roots.
- Dig a planting hole three times the width of the roots and mix some well-rotted compost or manure with the soil from the hole and use this to re-fill once the Clematis is in place.
- Before planting, soak the container-grown plant thoroughly and allow it to drain.
- Remove the plant from its pot and tease out a few of the roots.
- Add Mycorrhizal fungi to the roots to help quicker establishment.
- Plant with the crown of the plant 5-8cm deep to encourage new shoots to grow from below ground level.
- Refill the hole with the earth removed, then firm in the soil with your heel, avoiding the root ball and water in well. You can use your hand for smaller clumps of soil.
Aftercare:
- Feed in spring with a general-purpose fertiliser, avoiding the stems. Mulch immediately afterwards with organic matter, such as well-rotted manure, leaf mould or garden compost.
- Water regularly across periods of dry weather in the first few seasons after planting, especially for container plants.
- Clematis in pots should be given a liquid feed in summer and early autumn.
Pruning:
- In truth, pruning could not be simpler – just cut each stem back to around 30cm in early spring, just above a pair of buds. This will help to encourage new growth, on which the flowers are borne.
