The secret of growing good clematis, of course, is "head in the sun, feet in the shade, lots of food and lots of drink." Or, so, I thought before visiting Dr Mary Toomey, an ardent clematarian who has turned her small south county Dublin garden into something of laboratory (and a very pretty one too) devoted to this genus.
Within minutes of entering the Toomey garden, and ascertaining that there was indeed sun and shade on the appropriate parts of the plant, and food and drink in plenty, I noted that there were also two other essential ingredients which make these plants flourish. Patience and curiosity.
Let's start with patience. Poor old patience is utterly out of fashion now. Thanks to various television programmes featuring super-quick garden makeovers, we are encouraged to believe that the prime requisites for a perfect garden are a couple thousand quid, some brawny, clowning folk and a camera crew. Yes, but not many of those gardens come furnished with clematis - its wiry, wayward stems creeping through host plants, scrambling through trees and popping out starry flowers in places that no man, woman or stylist could ever arrange.
"The thing about clematis," says Mary Toomey, "is that it takes three to five years to get going. Don't expect miracles." The other thing about this commodious plant group - it numbers about 250 species and at least 600 cultivars - is that it is subject to more maxims and wise talk than many other plants.
Mary Toomey questions all this ceaselessly, proving some theories and disproving others. "Why?" and "Why not?" are her constant gardening companions. So, when the experts say that hardy clematis should be planted in the autumn, not spring, she says, "Why is that?" and goes on to investigate.
The answer is simple: in autumn the soil is warmer, whereas in spring the upper layer is warm, but the lower is cold and unreceptive. Simple indeed, but greater understanding is achieved through questioning.
When the pundits insist that clematis not be partnered with conifer, she asks "Why not?" and plants the large-flowered `Perle d'Azur' through the Korean fir, Abies koreana, where its pale-blue blossoms light up the dark-green needles and complement the slatey, violet-blue cones. The authorities advise a conifer-and-clematis ban "because they think the soil is too dry, and also" - she adds with a great big guffaw - "because they haven't tried it!"
In the Toomey garden, the clematis is positioned so that its roots "grow way away from the tree" and the stems are draped up and over it. In late autumn, the tired stems, like a worn-out garland, are lifted off the fir and tidied up by pruning a third of the growth. In early spring, they are snipped right back to about 12 inches from the ground. (All the clematis, by the way, get a good mulch of horse manure in autumn, and a remulch in spring "if I think the mulch is not looking good," along with a handful each of sulphate of potash and general fertiliser.)
And what of wilt, that distressing condition, caused by the fungus Phoma clematidina, which makes a stem, or even whole plants, collapse overnight? "Most clematis which flower before June seem to suffer from it," she explains. "I'm convinced that it is over-hybridisation of the early-flowering cultivars." And one of the ancestors whose genes could be responsible for the susceptibility is the Chinese clematis, C. lanuginosa, she adds. She then cautions firmly: "Never ever dig up a clematis because it has disappeared. It will come back - that's the nature of the beast."
Beginners, she suggests, should avoid the showy, large-flowered varieties, at least until they get to know the nature of the beast. Instead, any of the Viticella (which flower in summer and autumn) and the Macropetala and Alpina (spring) groups are virtually trouble-free. On growing clematis in pots, she notes with something approaching exasperation: "When they say suitable for containers, it doesn't mean suitable for containers forever." She stresses: "Most of them - except for the evergreens and some of the species which have more compact rootballs - can only stand two or three seasons in containers." She then happily rumbles her theory by showing me a stunning blue Clematis `Fujimusume' which she has grown in a pot for seven years. Its container-bound longevity is ensured by replacing a third of its compost every year.
Mary Toomey has devoted 30 years of her life to clematis, "growing, groaning and moaning" - and experimenting, observing and learning. After two hours in her garden, I was captivated by her engaging stance of one hand in the soil and the other in science.
Fortunately, she has committed some of her vast store of knowledge to a recently-published volume Clematis (£14.99 in UK), part of the Hamlyn Care Manual series. It's a lovely book which explains with authority and accessibility - and excellent colour photographs - all aspects of this versatile and diverse genus. Get the book, but remember to stock up on patience also. A clematarian's adage that should be attached to every clematis label is: "One year's sleeping, one year's creeping and one year's leaping."
Diary Dates: Today (9a.m. - 6p.m.) and tomorrow (1p.m. - 6p.m.): Rose Festival at St Anne's Park, Raheny, Dublin. Horticultural and craft exhibitions and trade stands, guided tours. Talks today at 2.30p.m. by rose experts Sean McCann and David Kenny.
Garden Tours: Antiques expert Roxane Moorhead has branched out to lead day trips to Irish gardens. Booking is still open for two different excursions to Co Meath gardens on July 27th and August 10th. For details, phone (01) 4533962 (daytime), (01) 6605165 (evening) or 086-8147451.