Clematis ‘New Love’

Clematis ‘New Love’ is a rather special herbaceous clematis, forming a bushy, non-climbing sub-shrub rather than a traditional climber. We’ve observed its robust, upright habit, which means it doesn’t need a trellis, making it incredibly versatile. From mid-summer right through to early autumn, it produces an abundance of elegant, purple-blue, tubular flowers with charmingly reflexed petals and distinctive lemon-yellow stamens. These blooms are softly scented, adding another layer of delight to your garden.

This vigorous clematis thrives in moist, well-drained soil and prefers a position in full sun to partial shade, though it’s happiest with its ‘feet in the shade’ – a common clematis preference where the roots are kept cool and moist. We recommend planting it with the crown at soil level and ensuring good drainage. It’s fully hardy across most of the UK (H5) and adaptable to various soil types, including chalk, clay, loam, and sand, whether acid, alkaline, or neutral.

As a Pruning Group 3 clematis, ‘New Love’ flowers on new wood, making its annual care wonderfully straightforward. Simply cut back all old stems hard to approximately 10-30cm (4-12 inches) above ground level to a pair of strong buds in late winter or early spring (February to early April) before new growth begins. This encourages a profusion of blooms. Its compact, bushy form makes it an excellent choice for the front or middle of a perennial border, in large containers, or intermingled with ornamental grasses or other sun-loving perennials like coneflowers and daylilies.