Clematis 'My Darling'

Clematis 'My Darling' was bred by Polish breeder Szczepan Marczyński and introduced in 2017. Its large to very large flowers reach 18 to 23 cm across and appear in a rich violet-purple with white and pink flecks. The first flush in early summer is densely double, while the later flush in late summer is semi-double.

At 150 to 200 cm, 'My Darling' stays pleasantly compact, making it well suited to container growing as well as trellises and obelisks in smaller gardens. The main flowering period falls in June and July, followed by a lighter second flush in September. It does best in a bright but not overly hot spot, in well-drained soil that is neutral to slightly acidic.

'My Darling' is reliably winter-hardy (zone 4, down to about -34 °C) and copes well even with severe winters. Because the first, double flowers form on the previous year's wood, it belongs to pruning group 2: after the first flowering in June, cut the plant back only lightly, to about 100 cm, so the September flush is not lost.