This is the time of year when any flowering plant is something to relish and enjoy on so many levels.

They are relatively few and far between and this is especially true in the world of climbing plants that can be grown successfully in a Cumbrian garden. Thankfully there are a select few who can provide some floriferous joy to a wet February.

The evergreen Clematis are a cracking group of plants and among them you will find Clematis cirrhosa - this is a versatile climber and provided it has a good sunny wall or fence to be grown against it will reward you with a beautiful display of attractive creamy coloured petals with tiny flecks of purple on the inside of each individual petal.

As with many winter flowering plants the flowers have a slightly waxy appearance (and feel) this not only looks great when water runs over them but it means they last longer even when battered in the unwelcome winds of the past few weeks. There are some good garden cultivars of Clematis cirrhosa worth looking out for. Clematis cirrhosa var purpurascens ‘Freckles’ is I suspect the most widely grown cultivar and for good reason.

This will often begin flowering as early as November, the gardener’s month of doom and gloom. This is brasher, with lots of bright red spotting, and it was selected by Raymond Evison from wild-collected seeds imported by Allen Paterson, when curator of the Chelsea Physic Garden (1973-81)

Other forms of C. cirrhosa include the red ‘Lansdowne Gem’ and ‘Jingle Bells’, a non-spotted ivory white. I have always been drawn to the leaves of evergreen clematis, in the case of Clematis cirrhosa they are finely cut and even without their covering of flowers make a lovely foil for later flowering plants.

Other evergreen Clematis include C. armandii this is a plant that needs a little more protection and it’s distinctive spear shaped leaves can easily get to 12cm long in all their glossy finery.

In the world of evergreen clematis don’t be too tempted by C. cartmanii this New Zealander isn’t hardy for most and will not climb.

When it comes to the soil conditions, Most of the evergreen clematis grow well in normal garden soil. There is a fantastic plant of Clematis cirrhosa growing on the front of the house here in Witherslack where the soil is less than brilliant but is well drained and despite little in the way of feeding in recent years is showing no signs of slowing down.

Next topic: Focus on the Daffodil