Listen to Paul Parent and David Wilson as they discuss Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’ on the March 19, 2006 The Paul Parent Garden Club radio show [9:26 minutes]
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Clematis is sometimes referred to as the “Queen of the Vines”, so in this newsletter let us introduce you to Her Royal Highness, Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’.
Maybe this is a bit "tongue in cheek," but let me tell you that this majestic variety has all the regal presence of a stately royal monarch. She stands head and shoulders above her peers for the following reasons: she is a good strong grower, yet compact and sturdy, she produces lots of large, luxuriant flowers on strong stiff stalks, she holds her head proud and aloft, produces two sorts of flowers in the same year, and in a few years will be celebrating her golden jubilee.
Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’ is described by her growers as their best double flowered clematis variety. She is vigorous; has deep, dark, luxuriant green foliage; and carries lots of big, strong, fat, flower buds that begin to open around early to mid May revealing huge, 6-8 inch wide, double flowers with outer rings of rich purple-mauve tinted tepals and an inner center of smaller ones that are a lighter shade of lavender-blue.
Like the pomp and ceremony of pageantry, the rich color befits her noble status and is ever changing. As the flowers develop and mature, they go through a series of changes that gradually take on suffusions of mauve and carmine with a center that fades and verges closer to hues of lilac-blue.
This ever changing floral display isn't restricted to the spring and summer display either. After a brief rest, she typically starts another round of flowering in late summer and early autumn. This time the flowers are single and an impressive shade of lilac-blue with a whitish, pale blue to soft silvery stripe down the middle of each tepal. Again, like many ceremonial affairs, the change is slow and takes a long time, but with Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’ this is a good thing, for her procession of color will usually last from early summer well into autumn.
Her capacity to produce lots of flowers, together with the vigorous, yet compact habit, makes her wonderful just about anywhere that her twining leaf stalks can take hold. Archways, pergolas, arbors, trellis, even fences can be clothed with ease. She will scramble up lamp posts, soften walls, and disguise the sides of unsightly buildings, as long as a network of trellis or wire is attached to the supporting structure. Given suitable cultural conditions, she will beautify that space to a height of about 8 to 10 feet.
She is also superb for training into other plants. Free standing shrubs (evergreen or deciduous) can be given a whole new look by planting her to the side of the host and letting her wind her stems over and through the outline of her partner. Rhododendrons, Japanese hollies, viburnums, weigelas, variegated dogwoods, and even informal hedges can be livened up by her presence. Almost any large to medium sized shrub can be used. Keep in mind the clipping or pruning requirements of each, and you can't go wrong.
In my garden, I "jazz up" boring ground covers, like junipers, by letting clematis spread through the foliage. The combination of flowers on the evergreen ground cover is both colorful and functional, not to mention labor saving. Slow mounding conifers work well, too. The thought of draping the rich, lavender-blue flowers of Clematis &lsquo Vyvyan Pennell&rsquo over a golden-yellow mound of Chamaecyparis ‘Golden Mop’ is a combination that seems like it would be worth trying. This link will take you to more pictures and cultural details of Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’.
The fabulous thing about clematis, and vines in general, is that because they grow upwards they take up very little space. In today's modern gardens, where ground area is always at a premium, this is very important. Clematis are a wonderful way to enjoy color without having to tie up much bed space.
Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’ is perfectly suited to this, and her thick, glossy leaves and hearty growth is great for providing privacy and screening too. In town gardens, decks, and patios, she will cover trellis and screening structures, and, with careful positioning, can make a huge difference in whether an outdoor living space is used or not.
Her compact growing habit and floriferous nature means that she makes an excellent container plant too. Each spring, I usually place some annuals or showy perennials around the top of the pots to supplement the color and then train her head up into a screen. Shortly thereafter, our deck is awash with color that is all the more attractive with the layers of colorful interest.
Some pundits tell me that they leave their container clematis out all winter, but I have not had much luck with over-wintering my plants outdoors unprotected. Early each winter, when the plants are dormant, I bring them in to our unheated basement. Then, when the worst of the weather has passed, I put them outside again to begin another year of color.
I hasten to add that outdoor plants growing in garden soil are perfectly hardy. They will do fine in zone 4 and above, but the cold, frozen conditions in a pot on my elevated deck is, alas, pushing it a bit too far.
Another little known aspect to clematis is that many are well suited to picking for use in floral arrangements. This is something that Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’, with her big, full, long lasting flowers and strong, stiff stems, is particularly suitable for.
Like most flowers from the garden, they are best picked early in the morning or late in the evening when they are about a quarter of the way open. If they are conditioned by placing them immediately in water and stored in a cool place, they will last for about five days.
I adore how the big, full flowers look in an arrangement, and I find them especially beautiful in Japanese style Ikebana compositions. If the plants are left unpruned, attractive, silky seed heads will be produced. These add to the appeal and can be preserved by placing the cut stems in glycerine mixed with hot water (1/3 glycerine, 2/3 water).
Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’ flowers on both old and new wood. The most prolific blooming is at the earlier part of the year, so to ensure the most spectacular display, it is only necessary to prune lightly. This is best done after most of the first round of flowering ceases (usually around the end of June in my observations).
I snip off any old flower heads, take out any dead and weak shoots, and trim back any straggly ones. This encourages new growth that leads to a round of renewed flowering in late summer and early autumn.
Light fertilizing and watering during dry periods will help to sustain strong re-growth and ultimately more flowering.
Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’ stems from a long, hereditary line of nursery people, one that rivals many a royal lineage. Pennells of Lincoln is one of the oldest nurseries in the British Isles. It is a seventh generation nursery firm that stretches back to 1780, and is probably the oldest nursery to remain in the same family ownership. In the early days, Pennells were important suppliers of fruit trees, roses, and agricultural seeds. Several generations later, they grow mostly ornamental plants, including clematis.
Walter Pennell (1911 - 1976) was persuaded to come back to the family business after serving in the World War II. He had trained at Reading University and was interested in chemistry, science, and technology, which led to his interest in plant breeding and later astronomy.
At first, Walter started collecting seed from open pollinated plants. Then he began making planned crosses. One of these, a hybrid between Clematis ‘Daniel Deronda’ and ‘Beauty of Worcester’, was destined to become this very fine variety. It was raised in the mid-1950s and introduced in 1959. He thought so much of it that he named it after his wife.
Clematis ‘Vyvyan Pennell’ delights and captivates all who view her presence. She reigns supreme in our Garden Splendor® line up. We hope you will stop by our garden center soon and see why she, and the other Garden Splendor® plants, should rule in your garden, and why they are...Plants Worth Remembering™.
Until next time, remember.... Enjoy your gardening. It's good for you!
