Clematis for identification please.

[Brian Ellis]

Would anyone happen to know what this delightful little clematis is?  Seen on a visit this afternoon, the head gardener had only been in post for four months and hadn't a clue, all our group were intrigued with it.  I am sure one of our forumists knows it like the back of their hand, so here's hoping....

[Gail]

Looks like C. alternata from Nepal - did you notice if the leaves were alternate or opposite?  C. alternata is apparently the only species with alternate leaves. 

[Brian Ellis]

I didn't think to look at that Gail however, the leaflets above the buds look opposite so I assume the rest were too?  Two head gardeners with us and the cream of the Norfolk Plant Heritage group, and none of them knew

[Brian Ellis]

...however, having googled I feel sure that you are correct.  Many thanks for that, now just have to save up the pennies for the acquisition!

[Paul T]

Brian,

Any chance of convincing the head gardener to do some serpentine layering so that you can obtain a piece from it?

[Brian Ellis]

Highly unlikely Paul, we had a great deal of trouble actually getting permission to visit the garden (only given I think as the highly private family were going to be in America).  Getting a cup of tea provided took many phone calls - and what's a garden visit in England worth without tea and cakes   Digestive biscuits were the order of the day.  The gardener has only been there four months, and has found that she has bindweed problems in the herbaceous borders of the walled garden, all sorts of weeds in fact as the soil was brought in from elsewhere six years ago and not sterilised and we haven't had any appreciable rain for 18 weeks so that adds to her problems too. She is in the getting to know you stage and taking many pictures of the garden so she can see what the scale of the problem was.  Having said that the planting was very nice apart from one or two things like Himalayan Balsam and Lysimachia vulgaris which need strict supervision and had been allowed to get away a bit.  Still I know a head gardener who knows her so maybe....