The Montanas

Winter brings a somber note to the garden. After it, we look to spring to lighten up the vista. The plant, beyond all plants, that does this best is the montana clematis. Huge sweeps of colour, involving thousands of small flowers, climb into trees, cover walls and embellish shrubs. No one montana clematis flowers for long, but a sequence of montanas can flower from April to September. Colour catches the eye first, but as you approach, many of the montanas give an overwhelming fragrance. This particular group of clematis is vigorous, easy to plant and easy to grow. Montanas are free from stem rot (clematis wilt), and pruning is easy. As a bonus, in the autumn, some montanas produce attractive seed heads. The longevity of this clematis is such that it can be considered a friend for life.

Written by acknowledged clematis expert John Howells, this book is a book for gardeners. The gardener needs to know the general features of this group of clematis. They will find them here. They need to know which montanas are available on the market, their strong and weak points, and which is best for each gardener's purpose. They will find that information here. The gardener needs to know how to cultivate this group of plants and how best to display them. That information is also here. Every plant has a history and the history of the montana is particularly fascinating and is given full coverage in this book. Every garden needs a montana and as this book demonstrates, there is a montana for every garden.