There are clematis for virtually every setting, whether you want them to hide a structural eyesore or provide colour and interest intertwined with evergreen shrubs.

Combining clematis with other choice plants, such as roses, can create a focal point in the garden which will be colourful from spring to autumn.

Roses and clematis are particularly good plant partners as they have similar feeding and cultivation requirements. I have a gorgeous shrub rose, Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’, which is heavily scented, bearing double, dark pink flowers in summer and autumn, growing up an obelisk, combined with C. ‘Nelly Moser’, an early to mid-summer flowering clematis with pink striped petals which fade in the sunlight. As the clematis starts to fade, the rose comes into its own.

Early season clematis, such as C. alpina and C. macropetala, have bushy habits, naturally suited to training up the stems of climbing or rambler roses.

Early to mid-summer flowering clematis, including C. ‘Lasurstern’ and C. ‘Marie Boisselot’, are better if thinned to five or six shoots before being tied into a rose, because then the flowers will be larger and more evenly spread.

Evergreen and deciduous shrubs can be perked up when planted with large-flowered hybrids, viticellas and compact species clematis, which flower from mid-summer to autumn.

Mid-season, large-flowered hybrids will happily grow through evergreen shrubs like rhododendrons, while early to late-summer blooming clematis with shorter stems and closer flowers, such as C. ‘Fuji-musume’ and the lilac C. ‘Josephine’, are more suited to combine with smaller shrubs.

The dramatic, velvety deep red flowers of C. ‘Niobe’ will climb happily through the evergreen shrub Choisya ternata, while many hebe cultivars make a good foil for clematis.

Timing is important when growing clematis through trees or shrubs. Plant C. montana var. rubens with Ceanothus arboreus ‘Trewithen Blue’ and both will flower at the same time, from late spring to early summer, the pink clematis making a striking show with the purple ceanothus.

Star-like pink blooms of C. alpina will pepper the crown of small flowering apple trees, while climbers can also perform well as ground cover. C. ‘Nelly Moser’ will flower at the base of a tree trunk, brightening up a bare patch of ground.

Plant compact clematis in a moisture-retentive, free-draining soil, where roots are shaded but top growth is in the sun. Check the variety for best location, as some will thrive in semi-shade while others prefer a lot of sunlight.