Clematis 'Marjorie'

Clematis montana 'Marjorie' was raised in 1980 by English breeder Marjorie Free as a seedling of Clematis montana var. wilsonii and named after her; it was introduced by Fisk's Clematis Nursery. Its 4 to 6 cm semi-double flowers show a cream-coloured base heavily overlaid with salmon-pink to coppery tones that intensify as the plant matures, along with a pleasant scent.

From May to June, 'Marjorie' covers itself abundantly in flowers and remains one of the best-known double-flowered montana cultivars to this day — it is even the parent of the later-bred cultivars 'Broughton Star' and 'Jenny Keay'. Reaching a height of around 500 cm, it is ideal for covering fences, pergolas, trellises or tall supports, and even for scrambling into trees. It thrives best in full sun, which brings out the strongest flower colour, though it also tolerates part shade — what matters is a cool, shaded root run, for example under ground cover or a layer of gravel.

'Marjorie' is reliably hardy (zone 7, down to around -17.7 °C) and, like all montana cultivars, flowers exclusively on the previous year's wood. Pruning is therefore not essential; if you wish to keep its growth in shape, cut it back to about 100 cm after flowering in June. Its bronze-tinted young foliage, which later turns green, along with its twining leaf stalks, make it an easy-going, vigorous climber for the garden — wear gloves when handling it, as the sap can irritate the skin.