Clematis for year-round colour in your garden – Ken Black 9th March 2026
Ken Black is an enthusiastic and very experienced grower of Clematis. In this talk he will illustrate how the selection of different varieties of clematis enables gardeners to achieve a succession of colour and interest to be enjoyed throughout the year.
Ken Black, membership secretary of the British Clematis Society, has over 30 years of experience with growing clematis. He lives near Chester and his garden, which has featured on Gardeners’ World and in publications such as Cheshire Life, contains over 150 different varieties of clematis which serve to add colour in every month of the year.
In this illustrated talk he will discuss the characteristics of the different family groups of clematis, their origin and history, and how they can be used to extend the period of colour and interest in your garden. This will be followed by an interactive practical session in which Ken will demonstrate planting and aftercare (including pest and disease control), pruning and methods of propagation. Ken grows many of his clematis varieties from seed and cuttings and will be bringing plants along for sale on the evening.