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Sacha[_1_] · 03-12-2006, 05:32 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 3/12/06 16:55, in article
, "judith lea"
wrote:

I expect Charlie Pridham may be able to answer this one. I want a
clematis to grow in my garden in the Auvergne, France. The soil is
poor with small tracts of earth/sand/decayed clay i.e. stuff as hard as
rock with putty like viens running through it and used in making
crockery. The Summers can be dry and hot but the winter weather is
viscious with snow on Christmas morning. We are high up overlooking
volcanoes which lay in the valley beyond, therefore the winds can be
horrendous, all adding to this beautiful almost etherial landscape.

I want a hardy cleamatis to withstand such extremes of weather and I
would prefer a large,white flower - any suggestions?

Charlie will know best but Mde. Le Coultre (aka Marie Boisselot) is a
lovely, large flowered clematis. The flowers are 5 or 6 inches across. It
can be grown in a container if well pruned. Your problem with Clematis in
the soil (and again I defer to Charlie) might be that they don't like to
have dry roots and your soil there sounds as if it could dry out quickly.
They don't like having their feet baked, either, so even in a tub I think
you'd have to put slate or something over the roots to keep them cool.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/