Clematis ‘Glorious Day’

This is a particularly cheerful Clematis that we’ve found brings a real splash of colour to the summer garden. Clematis ‘Glorious Day’ is a viticella type, renowned for its strong constitution and excellent disease resistance, which means it performs reliably for us year after year. It produces a delightful mix of both single and semi-double, rich purple flowers, often up to 10cm wide, all on the same plant, creating a wonderful varied display. We particularly appreciate how it covers unsightly areas with its fresh green foliage and bright blooms, offering a continuous show from early summer right through to autumn.

For the best performance, we recommend planting ‘Glorious Day’ in a spot that receives full sun to partial shade. Like most clematis, it appreciates having its ‘head in the sun and its feet in the shade’, so consider planting some low-growing perennials at its base or placing a paving slab to keep the roots cool and moist. It thrives in moderately fertile, moist, but well-drained soil. If your soil tends to be particularly wet or dry, we suggest improving it with plenty of well-rotted manure or garden compost before planting. Ensure the top of the rootball is planted about 7.5cm (3 inches) below soil level to encourage strong, new shoots from the base. This variety is fully hardy, tolerating temperatures down to -23.5°C.

As a Group 3 clematis, ‘Glorious Day’ is wonderfully easy to prune. In late winter or early spring, simply cut back all the previous year’s stems to a pair of strong buds, roughly 15-25cm (6-10 inches) above ground level. This encourages vigorous new growth and a profusion of flowers on the current season’s wood. Its scrambling habit makes it ideal for training up trellises, fences, or obelisks, and it combines beautifully with climbing roses, adding a layer of rich purple to their summer display. Regular watering during dry spells and a balanced liquid feed every couple of weeks for plants in containers will keep it blooming prolifically.