Clematis Montana

I’ve tried several times to get completely rid of the climber Clematis Montana growing along the fence in the Driveway Garden. It smothers one of the flowering cherry trees, and is generally a nuisance - but it still lives! And I still quite like it!

Clematis Out of Control

One year I remember spending days and days cutting, digging, and burning the evidence. I even optimistically planted a new rose to cover the fence-line. Guess I forgot to check if I’d done the job properly!

Clematis Montana is a thug, and will always climb out of control. This particular plant was brought as a cutting from my old garden, though - perhaps that’s why its spirit of survival is strong! And in mid-spring the flowers are just beautiful. Pity about the flowering cherry...

Footnote

In the spring of 2006 I'd just had enough. Two weeping cherry trees had been consumed, and their ability to blossom was being thwarted. So I hacked and pulled and chopped and nipped - and finally, down came most of the Clematis. A few delicate shoots have started to regrow - and so the cycle starts all over again!