clematis 'Fleuri'

wow...

I'm thinking how it might climb through a Pittosporum as we mentioned the other day ! Stop giving me ideas to spend more at the GC !

This one would be too short for that Shirley.....you would need something a bit more rambly!

Suggestions on a postcard to me .... the Pittosporum I'm thinking of is in a shady area and now about 8 ft. tall !

Well, it needs to be a group 3 so you can cut it hard back every winter and not have to look at a mess in the pittosporum. I would go for something with small flowers as the pittosporum has small leaves and you dont want to overwhelm them. Now if it's the light variegated pittos. you would want something dark, and if it's the dark, you might want something lighter....so....here are two lots of suggestions for you

Light Coloured: Huldine; Viticella Alba Luxurians; Viticella Betty Corning; Viticella Cerulea Luxurians; Viticella I am lady Q (I know, weird name eh?); Viticella Little Nell; Viticella Tango.

Brighter and Darker colours: Viticella Abundance; Vit. Etoile Violette; Vit Polish spirit; Vit. Minuet; Vit Viola Venosa Violacea; Vit. Purpurea Plena Elegance; Texensis Gravetye Beauty; Flammula Triternata Rubromarginata (scented); Texensis Princess Diana

You could also choose any of the Tanguticas which are mostly yellow and have small flowers. They flower July to Oct. I think they would look great in a pittosporum, but I would go for one of the brighter yellows as some of them can be quite hard to see...'my angel' is beautiful but really subtle and might get lost in the pitt. Lambton Prk would be nice though and it is good in shade. Some shade is not a problem for any of the others I've suggested, and Polish Spirit grows really well in quite deep shade.

I grow integrifolia through mine, but they don't grow tall enough to be good in yours. I also have an alpina (macropetala) on mine for the spring but this can't be cut hard back, so I'm rethinking that idea! Most of the ones I've suggested here grow to about 10 feet and one or two will do 12 feet, so they are a good size for your shrub.

If I was going to choose one myself, I would probably go for Purpurea Plena Elegance as it's easy to get a hold of in GCs and it's a stunning shade of mauve with small double flowers. HAVE FUN choosing!!

Karen, many, many thanks for typing out such a comprehensive list for me, it's given me plenty of food for thought. I have the gorgeous yellow ' Bill MacKenzie ' covering a fence, mingled in with an Ivy and like the idea of a yellow Clematis as it's shaded by neighbouring trees. I'll post a photo of the Pittosporum tomorrow. Thnks again. : o )))

When are you writing your book my friend :-)))))

She is so knowledgeable on her Clematis and garden plants, think she is in the wrong profession. But maybe I am just a little biased

This is one of the Clematis you bought me think it was last year for mothers day Karen, and it is lovely I love the colour

Yes, me too.