The success of compact clematis

Celebrated clematis-grower Raymond Evison, the winner of 28 Chelsea Gold medals, unveils his forthcoming design for this year’s show and shares the secrets of his success with Hannah Stephenson

Expert grower and genial gentleman Raymond Evison, who has championed compact and highly rewarding cultivars suitable for containers and smaller spaces, is now looking for maximum impact with his latest Chelsea showstopper.

He’s spent more than five decades searching for, breeding and developing some of the world’s best clematis and showing me around his impressive clematis nursery on the Channel Island of Guernsey, the framework is already in place for this year’s Chelsea outing.