Clematis alpina 'Blue Dancer'

Soak pot grown new plants well before planting. Dig an over-sized planting hole and mix some good quality organic material with the soil from the hole adding a handful of bone-meal or fish, blood and bone fertiliser. Put some well rotted manure at the base of the hole and cover with soil. Remove the plant from its pot and place in the hole so that the surface of the root-ball is at least 3 inches below the soil level. Fill the space around the root-ball with the soil and organic material mix. Sprinkle some more organic fertiliser around the plant, keeping it away from the stem and water in thoroughly.

Group 1 varieties flower early, from mid winter into late spring. Winter flowering C. cirrhosa and its varieties are also in Group 1.

Semi hard wood cuttings are taken from the current years growth from late summer to mid autumn the bottom of the cuttings is hard and soft on the top. With a sharp knife take a cutting of about 14cms, remove lowest leaves, dip end into rooting hormone, and place round the edge of a pot filled with a suitable compost, water well, they must remain moist till rooted, place under glass but in semi shade.