Clematis ‘Sweet Summer Love’

Free-flowering and fragrant, Clematis ‘Sweet Summer Love’ is a deciduous climber which produces a profusion of star-shaped flowers, up to 2 in. (5 cm), which open in bright cranberry red, then mature through purple-red, then purplish violet to violet then becoming paler as they fade. Intensely scented, a mix of viola, vanilla with note of almond, ‘Sweet Summer Love’ is the first fragrant clematis with large colorful flowers. Blooming in great quantities from midsummer to fall, a thousand blossoms (!), this clematis delivers not only a spectacular effect, but a heavy dose of perfume. Plant ‘Sweet Summer Love’ in a large container, or against a wall or fence where it will happily clamber up.

• 2014 Green Thumb Award from the Direct Gardening Association.
• It thrives in moist, well-drained soils, in full sun or part shade. Ideally, Clematis prefer having their ‘heads in the sun and their feet in the shade’. Keep the roots cool and shaded by other plants or add a layer of pebbles or flat stones at the base. Afternoon shade is appreciated in hot summer areas.
• Hardy, this clematis can quickly grow up to 10-15 ft. long (300-450 cm) and 6-10 ft. wide (180-300 cm).
• Excellent choice for trellis, it can be trained to climb a wall, fence or arbor and is also well suited to containers. Combines beautifully with other climbers such as roses. Perfect for enlivening rhododendrons.
• This Clematis belongs to the third group of Clematis – a group including Clematis which flower in late summer on growth made in that season. They should be pruned in late winter or early spring and require ‘hard pruning’: simply cut back the stems to a pair of strong buds about 1ft. (30 cm) above ground level before growth begins in early spring.
• Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.

As climbers, Clematis are unsurpassed in their long flowering presence, their rich diversity of flower shapes, their wide array of colors and tolerances in terms of exposure and climate. It is no wonder they are so popular! From tree huggers to container varieties, there is a Clematis for every garden and flowers for almost every month of the year! Members of the Ranunculaceae family, they include more than 300 species and hundreds of hybrids. They create year after year a ravishing colorful show in the garden whether solely trained on walls, arbors or trellises, or grown in association with other climbers. They are divided into 3 groups which determine how they should be pruned. Regular pruning of Clematis is important as it promotes strong growth and flowering as well as a harmonious plant. If left unpruned, Clematis can turn into a mass of tangled stems with a bare base and flowers well above eye level.