Clematis 'Pamina'

Clematis 'Pamina' was raised in 1993 by British breeders Colin and Pamela Terry of Tadley, Hampshire, named in 1995 and introduced to the trade in 2004 by Thorncroft Clematis, who presented it at the Chelsea Flower Show that same year. Its name combines the breeders' first names, not the opera character from The Magic Flute. Bred from a cross with 'Countess of Lovelace', 'Pamina' bears pink, roughly 8 cm wide flowers with darker stripes; each petal carries a bold dark red central bar and is crowned by dark red to almost black stamens that add a striking accent to the flower's heart.

At around 200 cm, 'Pamina' suits trellises, obelisks and other supports well in average-sized gardens. It flowers in two periods: from May to June on last year's growth, and again from July to August on new wood. Choose a sunny to partly shaded spot with nutrient-rich, moist but well-drained soil – it pays to improve the planting hole with well-rotted manure or compost.

'Pamina' is reliably hardy (zone 6, down to about -23 °C). Cut the plant back to about 100 cm in June after the first flush, so it regrows vigorously and flowers abundantly again in late summer.