Clematis: Clematis in shrubs, 2 by pirl

pirl wrote:
Ideally the clematis would face south, receive all the amendments needed as well as perfect sunshine but few of us can accommodate all the plants want (per articles and books). While many of mine do face south I do have many facing east that do very well.

You have such gorgeous gardens that I'm sure you could find many clematises to fit the exposures you have. There are several that do very well in limited sun, like Nelly Moser. On this site you'll find a list of clem's that perform well in shade (scroll down more than halfway for the list): http://www.clematisinternational.com/growing.html#pg5

When I had the clem's planted with roses I did plant a foot away but the bare legs of the roses allowed sunshine to get through.

My concern would be pruning. If you need to prune the shrub you'd automatically prune the clem unless you're exceptionally careful with each one.

Also, there are short trellises you could use that wouldn't be an eyesore. This trellis had an akebia when I took the photo but now it has two clem's.

Another alternative to trellises would be a large, sturdy branch that you could anchor in the ground. The clem will cover it quickly.

Let us know how you work out the issue. We'd love to see photos.

The second photo is of Nelly Moser in morning and late afternoon sun but no sun from the south.