Hello there As a general rule fully hardy plants that are grown in containers can be planted at any time of year as long as the soil isn't frozen solid. The best times are in the autumn when the soil is still warm enough to encourage root growth but the plant isn't in active growth, or the spring before the temperatures start to rise. So a Sarcococca will be fine being planted out in the winter months as long as the ground isn't frozen or waterlogged, or freezing outside,- so not at the moment while we are having this really cold snap. This clematis and some daphnes are not fully hardy so I wouldn't plant these out until the spring after the worst of the frosts, unless you can protect them from the cold weather.

Hello there Clematis cirrhosa var. purpurascens 'Freckles' is a Group1 pruning plant so they don't normally need much pruning. However they can get bare at the base so after flowering next year I would cut it right back nearly to the ground, then apply a mulch and feed. This is quite a drastic thing to do so I wouldn't do this every year. Hope this helps

Hello, It really depends on how sheltered your garden is. I lived in central London and had a sheltered south-facing wall and mine was quite happy with just a generous layer of mulch each autumn. In colder areas however, you may need to cover it with frost fleece.

Helen

Hello, These are both relatively big climbers, so ideally they should be planted out into the ground. The Clematis cirrhosa var. purpurascens 'Freckles' is slightly smaller, so this may be OK for a few years if the container is large enough and it is kept well fed and well watered, but the Clematis montana var. rubens is definitely going to want a larger root run.

Helen

Hello, These can cope with some light shade, however I would not recommend them for a spot that gets very little sun at all.

Helen

Hello Heather, Unfortunately there are no plants that will deter intruders without being difficult to deal with, and the best plants are those with thorns like the roses. It sounds like roses will certainly grow in your soil, but ideally you should dig in lots of composted organic matter and then make sure they are kept well watered in summer. It can be difficult to see a small plant and imagine how big it will grow to eventually, however we do give all this information on each plant card, which hopefully should help. You will find it just to the right of the pictures at the top of the pages. If you click on the following rose, you will see it has an eventual height and spread of 10 x 6 m http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/roses/climber-rose/rambling-roses/climbers/rosa-filipes-kiftsgate/classid.1280/ while this one will only grow to 3 x 2m http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/roses/climber-rose/climbers/climbing-roses/rosa-climbing-iceberg/classid.1181/ I would pick the one you like the look of and then you will be able to establish how many you need to fill your fence. As for the evergreens, if you click on the following link it will take you to our full range of evergreen or semi-evergreen climbers that will grow in clay soils, but the same rules apply re preparing the soil and watering. http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/plcid.15/vid.9/vid.228/ I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

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Hello Vicki, The Clematis cirrhosa var. purpurascens 'Freckles' is not fully hardy so does need protection during the worst of the winter weather. Therefore I suspect the unusually cold winter has not agreed with it and it may died off. The only thing you can do now is to cover it with frost fleece when the temperatures dip and keep your fingers crossed that it picks up in spring. I'm sorry not to be more help. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Hello Terry, If you click on the following link it will take you to all our winter flowering climbers - of which the Jasminum is tougher and more like a shrub. http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/plcid.15/vid.204/ Alternatively, this link will take you to all our winter flowering shrubs. http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/plcid.1/vid.204/ I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Hello Paul, I'm afraid no single Clematis will flower throughout the year, however you can get different types to flower at different times of the year. As a very general rule the group 1 Clematis are early flowering, the group 2's mid and the group 3's late, so this will help you narrow down your selection. The following link will take you to the few evergreen Clematis, some of which are quite vigorous - you can see the eventual height and spread of each to the right of the photos once you open up each page. http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/clematis/plcid.15/plcid.16/vid.24/ I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Hello Rosemary, There are several plants worth considering, but it will be crucial that the plants go into really large pots (the biggest you can find), and that they are kept well fed and watered. Here are some of my favourites Clematis cirrhosa var balearica http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/clematis/clematis-cirrhosa-var.-balearica/classid.871/ C. Freckles http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/clematis/clematis-cirrhosa-var.-purpurascens-freckles/classid.872/ Lonicera henryi http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/honeysuckle/lonicera-henryi-/classid.1676/ Solanum crispum Glasnevin http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/other-climbers/solanum-crispum-glasnevin/classid.1720/ I hope this gives you a few ideas. Helen Plant Doctor

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