Try growing the viticellas since they tend to be the most hardy and most resistant to heat. That being said, I would still plant them where they would get afternoon shade and mulch the area heavily to help retain moisture. Not sure where in Florida you live, but most areas in zone 10 will probably have sandy soil, so improving the soil is going to be a constant effort for you so that the soil will hold enough moisture to make the plants happy. Amending the soil well with various organic materials like compost and then top dressing it with a mulch that will decompose ovwe time and add nutrients will help out.

Check out the American Clematis Society since there are quite a few people there in zone 10 who can grow clematis in a zone similar to yours.

Here is an excerpt from the ACS website concerning zones clematis will grow in. There is even a pdf file you can download that talks about what needs to be done to clematis being grown in zones 10 and 11.

In Which Zones Do Clematis Bloom In United States?
Zoning is not an exact science so why do I choose to use zones when I address where clematis will bloom? At this time I do not know of a better way to give American clematis gardeners a perspective on where clematis will bloom in our country without using zones.

I promise I will be the first on board when I find a more definitive way of achieving this goal. Until then I will continue to utilize zones as a means to help gardeners have some reasonable expectation of where they can have success with their clematis.

What is known is that there is not any one clematis that will bloom in all 11 zones. I have not heard about any clematis prospering in Zones 1 and 2. At this time it is unclear about Zone 3 but it looks to be promising for a few certain clematis. Clematis alpinas, macropetalas, montanas and possibly chrysocomas, as well as many native species require a "winter chill" to bloom so those particular ones will not flower in Zones 10 and 11. This reminds me one should never use absolutes. The word "not" when it comes to a clematis flowering refers to what would be under what I consider normal gardening conditions, not those sporadic conditions that exist in nature and can at times prove to be wrong. This also holds true for heracleifolias, jouianiana, recta and serratifolia. Evergreen clematis such as armandii and cirrhosa are frost tender so they will not survive in areas that have harsh winter climates but they will flourish in Zones 10 and 11. There are many species that I do not have data on at this point so I will leave them in the "unknown" category. They may stay there for awhile since they are not readily available and for the most part do not impact most American gardeners.

Now for the good news! The majority of clematis being sold in this country will bloom in Zones 4 through 11. This is because these clematis have the ability to bloom with or without a "winter chill". They include integrifolias, orientalis, tanguticas, terniflora, texensis, viticellas, and the large and small hybrid cultivars. Two of my favorite native species, crispa and pitcheri, will also flower in these zones. I hope this clears up some of the confusion that currently surrounds my favorite genus.

thank you so much for the valuable info! As I stated earlier, I have never tried clematis, but I will now, without a doubt. Having something to look forward to in the garden may be why gardeners live longer... whether it is the anticipation of spring or the excitment of the newly introduced flower.
thanks again,
avalon