Hi Babs! Do you know the name or type of the Clem? If not, roughly when does it flower, and how big are the flowers? If it blooms before June, don't prune is the guiding principle. If it's a big flower, then chances are it just needs a light prune, back to a healthy bud. If it's a small, late flowering one, you can prune it hard. The thing with clems is you don't 'have' to prune them. We prune them to keep them bushy and so the flowers aren't too high to see. Hope this helps!

that is the most straightforward explanation I,ve heard for clematis pruning, my garden books make it sound so complicated,thanks Ck