Ask John Negus
John will reply personally to all your gardening questions every week
How do I care for ‘Polish Spirit’ clematis?
Q Please could you tell me how best to plant and look after the Clematis ‘Polish Spirit’? I’d like to grow it over a Ceanothus ‘Zanzibar’
Joanne Bell (via email)
A I am delighted that you have purchased Clematis ‘Polish Spirit’, a lovely viticella variety, to grow over your Ceanothus ‘Zanzibar’.
Ideally, plant it 2-3ft (60-90cm) from the bush, in a well-prepared planting hole around 2ft (60cm) in diameter.
Fork well-rotted and moisture-conserving manure or garden compost into the subsoil and sprinkle the top soil you have removed, which you will use to cover the roots, with 4oz (112g) per sq m of fish, blood and bone meal.
Set your plant 6in (15cm) deeper in the soil than it is in its pot and gently firm fertilised topsoil around it.
Water liberally to ensure that fine soil is in close contact with the roots. If the weather is dry, water weekly throughout summer
