Clematis Montana Mayleen in our Cheshire Garden
Clematis Montana Mayleen, we had this one in Aberdeen growing up through a Rowan tree in the back garden.
Performance in our garden
As you would expect, Clematis Montana Mayleen is thriving in Cheshire, every bit as much as it did in Aberdeen. It is one of those plants which flourish from John o’ groats to lands end, well! perhaps you have had experience which disputes this claim.
Here in our new garden this Clematis at the end of the pathway leading to our back garden appears to have been here for a number of years.
It came into bloom here at the very beginning of May, in Aberdeen it was usually the third week of May before the first blooms opened.
Although we usually have a preference for Clematis that require hard pruning in late Winter, this Montana which is performing extremely well is here to stay. Only thing is, we are placing a small garden shed in front of it, ah well, it will just have to scramble over the shed.
Plant information
The highly scented pale dusky pink blooms of Clematis Mayleen will bloom in your garden for a few weeks between late April and mid June. The leaves are a distinct bronze colour.
Clematis Montana is a vigorous, fast grower capable of actually smothering a deciduous tree to such an extent that the host could well suffer or even die.
Mayleen in my experience was not quite so ruthless and caused no harm to the Rowan tree in our Aberdeen garden which it climbed through, and after eight years still only clung to the lower branches. This one shown today in our Cheshire garden also appears to be pretty well restrained.
Mayleen carries the RHS award of garden merit and although as I have said, I prefer Clematis which requires hard pruning, Mayleen is here to stay.
Position and soil type
Mayleen grows best of all in full sun or partial shade, however if you only have a north facing position available, plant it! you will not be disappointed.
Grows well in all soil types which are free draining. Add plenty good quality compost when planting and remember the golden rule with Clematis, plant deep, at least three inches lower than the level the plant was in whilst in its pot. This helps to prevent Clematis wilt and also helps keep the roots cool which they also like, in fact it is often advised as good practise, to place a layer of pebbles around your Clematis as an aid to keeping the roots cool.
Pruning
Well, I think I have already made it clear that Montana requires no pruning. However a bit of tidying up after flowering may well be necessary, and will cause no harm. If after a number of years you feel it has got out of control there is no reason why the plant can not be rejuvenated by cutting it back hard.
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Another Montana in our garden is the white form, Montana Grandiflorum. I am also rather fond of this one, growing up a rickety old metal arch which leads to the back garden.
I have actually cut this one back and removed the old arch. The arch will be replaced with a new one and the Clematis will be left to regrow.
The habit of Grandiflorum is the same as Mayleen. The white blooms of this one are not fragrant, however I expect many will favour it over the pink form.
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The garden was starting to take shape, however I knew it would get messed up with all the work which the coming extension entailed.
Well in actual fact, its not going to happen. The strain and stress of moving house has left Myra totally drained and we have just decided to upgrade the house without any serious building work involved.
Although, having said that there is a bit of an upheaval at the front of the house. The garage as it is, is gone and we are having a shower room and cloakroom added. (Cloakroom is posh for bog)
If you happen to leave a comment I will be sure to visit your site and do the same
That is very disappointing Jack.
Great photos today and thanks too for all the information on the clematis. All three of mine died this past year. I miss them! JC
Ah! that probably is the problem Carolyn speaks of. Hope all goes well with your renovations when the time comes, I am sure Myra is going to be a lot better once we get rid of the hit squad.
perhaps Carolyn means no avatar for her?
We’re still waiting, and then there will be renovations.
One day, Myra will be able to enjoy her new home in peace and quiet – and it will be lovely!
Carolyn, we now realise that what we intended doing was simply unnecessary, which means we are already enjoying the garden. Mind you the interior of the house has virtually been torn apart and a team of tradesmen are bashing on with it. Not positive of what you mean blog doesn’t recognise you.
Your blog doesn’t seem to recognize me anymore. I have Montana Rubens clematis but like the two that you have highlighted much more, better color. Maybe it is for the best that you aren’t doing all that work. It leaves more time for enjoying life and gardening.
Hi Frances
Thanks for letting us know that Montana has its limits to endurance. We once had a journey up to a place in the far north called Betty Hill where a Montana was growing surprisingly well. Mind you, it was in a sheltered situation. Thanks for asking about Myra, I think all will be well once things are in order here.
Alistair, my garden proves the different, I bought 2 C.Montanas shortly after moving here, C.M. Alba died after a couple of years and plain C. Montana is still alive but isn’t doing much, I keep going to move it but with the lack of gardening weather and so many things that need doing it gets pushed to the back, yours looks lovely,
sorry Myra is still unsettled, a downstairs loo sounds good thinking, I’m glad now my house is on one level, no stairs to tackle, I hope when the building is finished and hopefully we get some summer weather things will start to look brighter, Frances
Things are coming together Janet,garden is gradually taking shape as is the house.
Mayleen sounds rather splendid, a great plant to inherit. No clematis here as yet, an autumn project, assuming we manage to get the fence sorted and the trellis painted. Hope your building work goes smoothly. Such things are always tiring, but hopefully the end result will be worth the chaos.
Hi Linnie,, thanks for dropping by, cant wait to find out what you have been up to.
Catmint, things are settling down, Myra is getting back to her old self although her heart will always be in Aberdeen.
That clematis will look divine scrambling over a shed, will make a shed look very pretty. I hope Myra feels better soon. It was a huge thing leaving your house and garden and moving so far away. But it must be lovely being so close to your famiy now.
Hi Alistair!
Oh my gosh you are taking the wonderful new place in hand! Surely you have a clear vision, and it is coming along nicely. I love the Montana clematis– one of the ones I was able to propagate from cuttings. I look forward to it climbing over your garden building. My grandma had a chicken house similarly roofed in a Cecile Brunner climbing rose…
Hi Sunil, Autumn planting is probably best in situations like this.
Hi Alistair, I’ve been thinking about Montana clematis and large rambling roses to grow up the trees we have at the back of the garden, the only issue is with keeping them watered as they establish as it is relatively dry, being underneath all that canopy. Mature Montana covering trees and small garden buildings is very impressive in full flower.
Hi Alistair
The Clematis Montana is lovely with its ruffled edges and then there’s fragrance to boot? The Perfect Plant!
Hi Angie, Your wee Clematis being robust will not take long to develop. Myra is showing signs of improvement every day now.
I guess this Clematis would be familiar to you Donna.
I thought I recognized that clematis and it is gorgeous…It will look great scrambling over the shed..
What a timely post Alistair. I’ve just been gifted a tiny wee C. montana Mylene by a neighbour. I’ve potted it into a larger pit and will nurture it until Autumn. By then I might have found an ideal spot for it.
I do hope Myra can finally settle once the downstairs loo is done. Your move has really taken its toll on her. Wishing her all the best.
Thanks Rick, I have always been led to believe that Mayleen was rather unique in having the fragrance, perhaps it is simply more pronounced in this one.
Debs, HF Young, we had in Aberdeen, loved the shade of blue.
Helene, we have a really healthy looking evergreen clematis armandii. It didn’t flower and my neighbour says it never has in the past twelve years. I found out that it had been getting pruned back every year in Summer. I expect she was cutting off all the shoots which would have flowered in Winter. Its just outside our kitchen window and Myra is getting concerned at how untidy its getting already.
Thanks Scotkat, hope the weathers getting better up your way.
We have planted a few new ones Vesna, looking forward to them maturing.
Thanks Patty, we are useless when it comes to upheaval these days.
I love Clematis of any kind and have several in my garden. This one of yours is really lovely.
Two beautiful clematis. Glad to see they are doing well in the new garden. Upheaval indeed – I can sympathize with you Alistair as we are undergoing a bathroom reno. It will come to an end one day.
Very nice Alistair thank you for sharing.
I must admit I do prefer clematis’ in pruning group 3, it’s great to be able to cut the whole thing down in February and get rid of the everything from last year. That said, I do have an evergreen clematis – and I have had a white Clematis montana before, many years ago flowering double flowers in the spring and single later on. It grew up my tall cedar tree and it got broken by foxes digging a den around the base of the tree. Eventually the whole thing just died. I wasn’t that sorry to see it go and decided to not have another plant up that tree again. Your pink Mayleen looks lovely, and sounds much more suited to a small garden than what I had – it was a monster! Can’t remember now what I had, perhaps it was grandiflorum, but I do remember the single and double flowers, I often had them both at the same time. This was before I started my meticulous record of plants in my garden 🙂
Good luck with all the work you are doing to the house, I hope when the dust has settled and everything is finished that Myra will start to enjoy your new house and surroundings.
Maylene is gorgeous. I love her color. She looks beautiful on the trellis! I only have one clematis, “H. F. Young’. I am waiting for it to become well-established and give me the flower show that is advertised!
The Montana Group are very desirable usually as long as you have some space, my current favourite is ‘Giant Star’ which it certainly is. The one thing that many people miss, which you mentioned, is that in general they have a very pleasant vanilla scent. Best of luck with your building project Alistair.