I was really pleased with one of my garden purchases the other day.  I bought a Clematis alpina 'Constance' from the Royal Horticultural Society garden centre at Harlow Carr and I want it to grow up the side and, if possible, across the top of a window at the back of my house.  The problem with that window is that it faces east (partial shade) and also anything that grows close to the house has to tolerate being in a pot on the patio.  Now, I know that there are dozens or possibly hundreds of clematis that I could have chosen from but I wanted one with an interesting leaf shape and one that wasn't too vigorous; so I went for clematis alpina.  Alpinas are spring-flowerers with quite pretty leaf shapes and Constance, which is deciduous, has a semi-double deep-pink flower and makes fluffy seed heads afterwards.  It has earned the Royal Horticultural Society 'AGM' - Award of Garden Merit.  This means that it is pretty reliable when grown as recommended.   Apparently it does not require pruning, only the cutting out of dead or weak growth. 




 Clematis alpina 'Constance' is perfectly hardy and is said to grow in any aspect, including shade, and in most kinds of soil.  I have transplanted mine into as large a pot as I possess at the moment and I think it will be happy there for at least another year or two.  I am supporting it with four tall, stout canes up which it will be trained until it reaches just under the bungalow's gutter and then, if it grows tall enough, I will train it across the top of my window.  It doesn't grow so very tall, only about 3m, or perhaps less, which is good as far as I'm concerned.  I certainly wanted to avoid anything like Clematis montana which can be quite rampant.  I used to grow one at another house and I was constantly having to drag it back to stop it going over to the neighbours and climbing through her bathroom window and up into her roof space. 

Clematis alpina 'Constance'