This climber is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.

• Position: full sun
• Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: fast-growing
• Flowering period: July to September
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  To paraphrase Jane Austen, 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a person in possession of a good garden, must be in want of this clematis'.
  Make this abundant patio plant ‘pride’ of place in your pots or cover for bare, leggy plants with 'Darcy's' dusky-pink flowers and deeper raspberry bar running down each spear-shaped petal. Flowering late into early autumn, why not continue the literary theme and pair this compact climber with the earlier Clematis ‘Elizabeth’ or Rosa ‘Chawton Cottage’, where Austen wrote many of her novels, for a pastel, period-themed summer?
  
  
• Garden care: In early spring cut back the previous year's stems to a pair of strong buds about 15-20cm (6-8in) above ground level and apply a slow-release balanced fertiliser and a mulch of well-rotted garden compost around the plant, avoiding the immediate crown.