Categories: Viticella group, 3 pruning group, red clematis varieties, double-flowered
Clematis ‘Avangard’ (correct English spelling ‘AVANT-GARDE’, patent name Evipo033) was obtained by Raymond Evison and German breeder Mogens Olesen in the first half of the 90s. It is a sport found on the clematis variety ‘Kermesina’ and propagated vegetatively. The variety is part of the ‘Festoon’ series of clematis.
Characteristics
| Group | Viticella |
| Pruning Group | 3 (hard pruning) |
| Height | 8.2-9.8 ft (2.5-3m) |
| Flowers | small, up to 2 inches (5 cm), with 4-6 sepals |
| Flower Color | red |
| Blooming | from July to October |
| Frost Resistance Zones | 4-9 |
Description
Clematis ‘AVANT-GARDE’ usually grows to a height of no more than 3 m. It is a relatively compact but bushy plant with a good ability to form shoots. The leaves are triple-veined, light green, often with reddish petioles.
‘AVANT-GARDE’ blooms on current year shoots from July until the first frost. The flowers are medium-sized, usually about 5 cm in diameter. The sepals are 4, they are crimson-red with a wavy edge, curved outwards. In the center of the flower there are several dozen pink, outwardly curved staminodes and stamens with greenish-yellow staminal filaments and yellow anthers.
Pictures
Clematis ‘AVANT-GARDE’ planting and care
‘AVANT-GARDE’ is a very hardy and unpretentious clematis, like all other Viticella clematis. This clematis can be grown in most US states, including South Dakota and other states with cold winters. It will grow well in almost all European countries, including Finland and Norway, although it will require shelter there.
When to plant clematis?
The best time to plant clematis is late August or early September when the soil temperature drops to about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Under these conditions, clematis will form a better root system and be better prepared for winter. You can also plant clematis in spring at the beginning of the growing season.
Late spring and summer are not considered a good time to plant clematis because they are actively growing and you can easily damage them when transplanting. If you bought your clematis in the summer, it is wise to wait until the end of August to plant it, or carefully transplant it with a clump of soil.
Selecting a location for planting clematis
Plant ‘AVANT-GARDE’ in well-lit and wind-protected areas against any wall of a building. If you are in a region with hot summers and not much winter, such as Florida or New Mexico, it is better to plant it against a north wall to protect it from the scorching sun. In northern states, it is better to plant the plant against the west or east wall. It will be good if the area where you plant the clematis is protected from strong winds. The soil for planting clematis should be light, highly fertile, well-drained and if possible slightly alkaline. Clematis grow very poorly on clay soils
When preparing to plant clematis ‘AVANT-GARDE’, it is better to make the planting hole large enough. I make the holes about a foot and a half wide and also about a foot and a half deep. I do not fill these holes with purchased soil. Instead, I fill them with soil I’ve pulled out of them, mixing it with compost or humus. For every part of soil, I add one part compost or humus and also add about one ounce of potassium sulfate and one ounce of superphosphate per hole to ensure that the plants have all the nutrients they need.
If the clematis is old enough and the lower part of its stem is woody, it is possible and desirable to bury it 2-3 pairs of buds when planting. In this case, the clematis will immediately form many stems from the ground. If you have purchased a young plant with a green lower part, you should not bury it.
Before planting, inspect the roots of the clematis and pull apart the soil. If the clematis has rotten or damaged roots, carefully cut them off and cover the cut with charcoal or ash. In addition, I always cover the root system and grafting node of clematis with a mixture of sand and ash to protect the clematis from pathogenic soil fungi that often cause wilt, the most dangerous disease of this plant.
When planting, the roots should be pointed in different directions and downward. It is important that they do not twist. If the roots are too long, it is better to widen the planting hole. After planting, tamp the soil well and water well so that there are no air gaps between the roots and the soil.
Care of clematis ‘AVANT-GARDE’
Frankly speaking, ‘AVANT-GARDE’ is very unpretentious and will grow and bloom well even without much care. However, I always try to create the most favorable growing conditions for clematis.
Watering
Clematis of Vitivcella group only needs watering when there is a prolonged drought. It should be watered in large quantities, but rarely. It is better to use warmed water rather than water taken directly from a well or tap.
Mulching the soil
Mulching is extremely useful for clematis because it protects the soil from overheating, prevents moisture evaporation and provides a source of organic matter to increase soil fertility. I mulch my clematis with freshly cut grass, you can also use hay or straw. Simply lay the mulch in a layer about one inch thick around the clematis without pressing it against the stems. This will provide much better conditions for plant development.
Feeding clematis
The first year after planting, I add about 5 grams of nitrogen in the spring (usually using urea) to get more greenery and allow for better plant development.
From the second year onwards, I feed the clematis according to a four-stage scheme:
- When leaf growth begins, I apply organic fertilizer (most often compost) and mineral fertilizer in the form of a solution. The solution contains 10 grams of nitrogen, 5 grams of phosphorus and 5 grams of potassium per adult plant on the active substance.
- In July, when the first buds appear on clematis, I make 5 g of phosphorus, 5 g of potassium and 5 g of nitrogen, and use a complex of macro- and microelements.
- The third feeding I do about a month after the second; it is the same composition.
- At the end of August or early September, I conduct the fourth feeding, bringing 5 grams of phosphorus and 5 grams of potassium per plant.
Pruning of clematis ‘AVANT-GARDE’
Clematis ‘AVANT-GARDE’ is a typical clematis of pruning group 3. It is very easy to prune: in the fall, the stems should be cut back to about 10 cm above the first pair of buds. The remaining stems should be sheltered from winter frosts if you have cold winters in your region. In most parts of Europe and the USA, a bucket of dry peat or sand is sufficient. In regions with very harsh winters, such as North Dakota or Wisconsin, you can create a more secure cover by using sheltering material. However, these states usually receive a lot of snow in the winter, which provides good frost protection for clematis.
Diseases of clematis ‘AVANT-GARDE’
The most dangerous disease of clematis is wilt. However, clematis ‘AVANT-GARDE’, as well as other members of the Viticella group, are very rarely affected by wilt. In addition, sometimes various leaf spots may appear on the leaves, but these are not very dangerous.
Clematis ‘AVANT-GARDE Evipo 33’ reviews
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma State:
The author purchased ‘AVANT-GARDE’ in 2018 because he was impressed by the photo on the label, and he was not disappointed. According to him, already in the third year after planting, the clematis reached 2 meters in height and produced a huge number of small but very spectacular flowers. The clematis variety does not require special care, only pruning.
Arizona, exact location unknown
‘AVANT-GARDE’ was purchased at a local garden center and planted in the backyard near a wooden trellis. Although the plant does not braid the trellis very well on its own and has to be tied up, the blooms have been very showy. The flowers are small, but there are lots of them.
UK, London neighborhood:
‘AVANT-GARDE’ was purchased from a well-known local nursery and proved to be a healthy, unpretentious plant. Its growth rate far outstrips many large-flowered clematis. The author recommends ‘AVANT-GARDE’ to anyone who does not have the time or inclination to care for their garden for too long.
New York State
‘AVANT-GARDE’ is one of the most spectacular clematis in the author’s collection. The plant is not at all demanding to the conditions of maintenance, blooms every year practically until the end of fall. It is cut short and has never been sick for 4 years, although there are other clematis growing nearby that often have spots on their leaves.
If you have also grown clematis ‘AVANT-GARDE’, please leave your feedback in the comments.
About the author
Fedor Fironov
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