The ratio between my current love for clematis and my library of clematis books, consisting solely of Clematis by Christopher Lloyd (1977), is certainly disproportionate, but it is surely one of the loveliest resources I own. Below is a list of books to assist clematis enthusiasts in growing their collection, starting from seed, companion planting, and expanding their knowledge.
This research was brought on by my recent purchase of seeds from the Ukraine flower grower Alla Olkhovska. In a future blog post, I will showcase Alla’s beautiful seeds, but for now, I will promote her recently released comprehensive guide to growing clematis. I found out about Alla’s work earlier this year through Erin Benzakein of Floret. Soon, Floret will be releasing their first documentary titled Gardening in a War Zone, through which we will witness Alla’s continued perseverance as a flower farmer in Kharkiv, Ukraine. I have included the trailer below. You may shed tears, but your heart will be filled with hope after watching.
“While you are alive and while you have an opportunity to make something productive, beautiful, and good, there is always hope.”
– Alla Olkhovska
Written while under constant missile attack, Alla draws on her extensive experience growing clematis to create an ebook that covers:
- Clematis classification
- Clematis pruning groups
- Planting information
- Growing information
- Clematis pest and disease control
- Vegetative propagation
- Growing clematis from seeds (very excited about this new opportunity to grow clematis from seed!)
- Clematis as a cut flower
An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Clematis by Mary K. Toomey and Everett Leeds, 2010
Clematis: The Montanas by John Howells, 2005
The Rose and the Clematis as Good Companions by John Howells, 2007
Choosing Your Clematis by John Howells, 2003
Trouble-Free Clematis: Viticellas by John Howells, 1998
The Royal Horticultural Society: Clematis – Inspiration, Selection and Practical Guidance by Charles Chesshire
Clematis by Christopher Lloyd, 1977
Clematis: A Gardener’s Guide to the Genus by Christopher Grey-Wilson, 2000
Clematis for all Seasons by John Feltwell, 1999
The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Clematis by Raymond J. Evison, 2005
A Comprehensive Guide to Clematis by Barry Fretwell, 1997
Clematis: The Complete Guide by Ruth Hooch, 1996
Companions to Clematis: Growing Clematis With Other Plants by Marigold Badcock
Clematis: A Hamlyn Care Manual by Mary Toomey, 1999
The Plant Lover’s Guide to Clematis by Linda Beutler, 2016
RHS Clematis Guide by Charles Chesshire, 1999
The American Clematis Society’s Guide to Growing Clematis by Edith Malek, 1999
The Genus Clematis by Magnus Johnson, 2001
A Celebration of Clematis: From the Gardens of Chalk Hill Nursery by Kaye Heafey and Ron Morgan, 2007
Clematis for Small Spaces: 150 High-Performance Plants for Patios, Decks, Balconies and Borders by Raymond J. Evison, 2007
Clematis: The Queen of Climbers by Jim Fisk, 1990
Clematis: Plant Portraits of Species and Selected Cultivators by Monica McAllen and Robin Savill, 2001
The Clematis as a Garden Flower – Being Descriptions of the Hardy Species and Varieties of Clematis or Virgin’s Bower by Thomas Moore, 2016
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Resources