How do I control a beautiful thug?
West Sussex,
United Kingdom 
My clematis armandii is an absolute picture in very early spring, but in summer it rampages all along the fence, swamps border plants and hangs in festoons from my neighbour's prunus trees. Unless there is some way of controlling it properly it will have to come out and I don't really want to resort to that as it was given by my brother on a special birthday. Any ideas please before it gets completely out of hand?
2 Jul, 2009
Answers
Thanks Bamboo--now I know exactly what to do.
5 Jul, 2009
This is a species clematis which, if you need to keep it in bounds, should be pruned as soon as it's flowered, and further back than you think you'll need, because if you cut off this year's growth, you won't get flowers next time round, so work out how far down you need to cut (next year) to allow it room enough to grow again in a season.
You can cut it now if you want, but you will lose some flowers, or all if you're hard with it.
2 Jul, 2009