I'm in love again. Over the years I've had romantic involvements with any number of plants -- miniature roses, milkweed, salvia, penstemon and many more, but now my heart belongs to clematis. Especially the new Patio Clematis developed by Raymond Evison. Please don't tell the roses, as they are very jealous.

I tried growing clematis in the ground several years ago but when I was unsuccessful, I decided to put plants into large tubs. I first started with an end-of-the-season sale clematis I found in Napa. I planted it in a large tub and added a trellis. That plant is about five years old now and is covered with blooms. I then felt emboldened by my success and tried one or two more. Last year I discovered the patio clematis, which was introduced in 2005, and have had to control myself. In fact some of the research for this article has been expensive, but I know I will love my new treasures!

The Patio Collection is not very big but the small growing plants have glorious large flowers coming from both the bottom and top of the plant. They fit into small places because they are not bred to grow tall. They were also bred to be in pots. World-renowned English hybidizer Raymond Evison developed the patio clematis. Some of the field tests were conducted in Vacaville to see how they would react to heat and they did very well.

I now have a number of potted clematis and I love the display they make. As the plants grow I keep pinching back the lead stem from about every third or fourth set of leaves so they will become fuller and produce more flowers. I also fertilize them with my organic mixture a couple of times during the growing season and during the winter just water them as needed. When it froze badly last winter, I pushed the clematis into the garage for a few days, after putting a small dolly under each pot so they are easily moved around.

Regular clematis is classified according to the way it blooms, either on new growth or old growth. Because I have limited space in the pots, I do cut them back to 12 inches or less when they have completed flowering and after the fluffy seedpods start to grow. They recover quickly and usually there is a second set of blooms later in the season.

Normally clematis should to be kept where the roots are shaded and the tops get sun but this does not seem to apply for those in pots. They do require regular watering throughout the year and because they are in a pot the water may need to be applied to the rim of the pot so the water goes all the way through the soil. When planted in the ground, clematis need moist roots and tops that gets full or part sun. Gardeners are combining them with other plants, such as roses and trees, and letting them grow up the branches.

Clematis flowers come in all varieties and colors. The doubles are especially beautiful. I love spending time on the Internet looking at the various flowers. One of the easiest sites is www.chalkhillclematis.com. I also enjoyed www.guerney-clematis.com. This site is about Raymond Evison and his clematis creations. Other good sites are www.paradisegarden.com and www.silverstarvinery.com. The Web sites give a brief description of the type of clematis, whether it blooms on old wood or new, total height expected and more. The best part is just browsing the wonderful pictures of the flowers. I suggest you follow some of the links listed for more treats to the eye.

Clematis is found in the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere and grows mostly as a vine but also as a ground cover. There are many species available, but large flowering hybrids have been bred and are generally deciduous. Web sites show there are a few thousand hybrids available. Gardeners who want to consider using clematis rather than another vine in the garden can refer to Sunset's Western Garden Book for great information on the history, care and descriptions of various species of clematis.

If clematis is grown in a pot, you will occasionally need to root-prune the plant while it is dormant and give it new fresh soil to grow in. A well-draining soil mixture is the best. I prefer large plastic pots, as the soil tends to stay damper in plastic.

Our local nurseries have the patio clematis among their selection of plants. If you want to visit Chalk Hill, it is located Healdsburg and open to visits by appointment only. Call 707-433-8416 for information. And those participating in the Master Gardener Upvalley garden tour on June 3 are certain to spot blooming clematis in at least one of the show gardens. Tickets for the "Down the Garden Path" tour of six Upvalley gardens will be available on the day of the event from 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Napa Valley College Upper Valley campus in St. Helena.