The seed is at the bottom of each little fluffy 'feather' just pull some off and sow as you normally would.

Thanks, Moon grower, I will try some tomorrow and keep my fingers crossed :)

How do you know when they are ready?

You make periodic visits to the clematis, DA, and gently pull at the feathers. When they come away easily in your hand they are ready. The seed heads in Gee's picture is very white and tightly bound - not ready yet. When ready the feathers will have relaxed a bit and become more grey in colour.
Clematis is one of the Ranunculus family and so seed should be sown as soon as collected. It can even be sown succesfully when slightly green.
Sorry for rambling but it is such a relief to get away from comments about the new site :-).

Do you two take turns at the computer!! And I agree about the comments on the new layout too.
Anyway, thanks for the explanation about sowing clematis seed as soon as poss - that goes some way to explaining why I've failed in the past.

Thanks so much Bulbaholic, your advice is great. I often wondered what was the right time and now I know. I have C. korean beauty with seed heads which I've promised to members. I'll check mine again tomorrow. I appreciate your advice.

No Meanie, we each have our own laptop and wireless internet in the house. This means that we each have complete access to a computer, the intenet and GoY whenever we wish. It makes for such a harmonious relationship !!!!!
Seriously, it does.

Oh Bulb, wish we had such harmony here ..... we're always grappling for the laptop. Bring on Xmas present.

Mine is supplied by the company I work for but if it wasn't we would still own to lap tops... War of the Worlds otherwise!

Like Sue and I!
We were sat there one day "working". Only it turned out we were both playing internet backgammon. But, and I don't know what the odds of this are, we were playing each other!! We only twigged when the cussing matched the games (or game as it happened) we were playing.

Pardon me for butting in on this thread, but should I collect seed from Clematis 'Bill MacKenzie' now ? Some seed-heads have changed from feeling silky to much softer and fluffier, for want of a better description !

Sorry to be a pedant here but having sown several types of Clematis from seed I suspect that the head in the picture is unfertilised. The tails have not grown properly and have prematurely "feathered". The swirl is also indicative of an undeveloped head too. Their bases show no signs of swelling at the bottom so the seed is not there either. I would still have a go as there may be one or two in the middle out of view but it doesn't look good from this picture.

I think you are right Fractal

As someone who's leeching info off of someone else's question, thanks. It may also explain why I failed!

There must be more than one seed head on the plant. Look for nice, plump little seeds rather than just 'marks' at the end of the feather. I don't know C. 'Ken Donson', could it be an infertile variety?
Shirley, if the seed comes away from the head when you brush your thumb across it then it is ripe. If you have to give it a tug then it is not. Our early spring flowering clematis is now ripe, summer flowering species are not yet. It sounds as if yours just might be.

Thankyou so much, Bulbaholic, I've just ventured out to check and the seed has come away readily, so I shall attempt to sow them asap !

Have fun Shirley