37. La collection des clématites

Every flower gardener should know about the clematis. It has always been the number one climbing plant, the creeper found in all our hedges and gardens. These perennial climbing plants have a fibrous root system and long, slender stalks, and use their coiled leaf stems to cling on tightly to a trellis or the branches of nearby plants. They most commonly take on a bushy form in hedges, but sometimes grow up in the trees, reaching a remarkable height.

Clematis are referred to as "cosmopolitan” plants because they are able to grow in all corners of the globe, in all latitudes and at all altitudes, as long as the temperature still allows for plants to grow. They do however have a slight preference for the warmer parts of the world. The colourful remontant flowers are sometimes scented and come in all shapes and sizes: small, medium, large or very large, thanks to the hybrid species that have begun to appear. Some even come in combinations of colours with stripes across the middle. In the autumn, the flowers of some species can still be found in bloom, bringing colour to our gardens.

We have chosen to display this wonderful collection of clematis, which flower in the spring, summer and autumn, on a poetic metal structure. The Clematis Alley at the Domain of Chaumont-sur-Loire was created in partnership with the Pépinières Travers garden centre, in Saint-Cyr-en-Val, near Orléans. Founded in 1870, the family-run garden centre “Pépinières Travers” is today specialised in climbing plants, climbing fruit plants, small fruit and fruit trees. It currently houses the only French national collection of clematis, certified by the French Conservatory of Specialised Plant Collections (CCVS).