Plum Clematis

The last clematis petals have dropped sadly. I am always amazed at these brazen blooms that burst from a spindly, scraggly tangle of stems.

I never know quite what to do with the plant. Do you prune it or leave it alone? It looks quite untidy during the winter months, dry brown stems wrapped around our pretty white trellis. But when spring comes, light green leaves arrive, and not long after we are blessed with these gorgeous flowers.