Wow, that's a really hard question. There are so many wonderful clematis available. I guess it would depend on where the fence was, what was planted near it, and what kind of sun it got. I have Dutches of Edinburgh (sp) on a spit rail fence in partial shade. The Dutches really sparks things up there. I have General Sikorski enter twined with a pink shrub rose and it seems to be happy. I have Polish Spirit climbing on a trellis next to the garage/garden shed, and it's doing well. I guess you just have to figure out what color, type, and size suit your spot the best. :) Not much help, am I? :)

Diann
IA Z5a

Sorry, Tam. I think your question is indicative of one of the common mindsets that actually do drive most of us crazy. We have been led to believe that if only we will buy this or that particular plant, our gardens will be beautiful. Sadly, we find that instead of the hoped for satisfaction, something is still missing.

A much better question is how to best stage, compliment and display the assets of (in this case) clematis. As with life in general, it is not so important what you have as it is what you do with what you have. A plain old Jackmanii clematis that is well-displayed can far surpass the landscaping impact made by more expensive ones that are planted nilly-willy.

Now you can go crazy asking yourself how you can improve the way you display your plants. ;-)

IronBelly

non vining Clematis scottii planted at the posts of the fence, too many folks have things climbing along the rails thus hiding the natural weathered wood.

My vote goes to sweet autumn clematis, my favorite, hands down. If your fence really needs covering, cover it. But the structure will have to be strong enough to hold this one, so if it's not just the looks you're covering up, better to go with something else.

Tangutica/sp? (small yellow bell flowers) and viorma (native leather flower). Both look particularly good in rustic settings and are my particular favorites. I'm also partial to sweet autumn. Guess I'm drawn to the smaller flowered varieties.

Cricket

sweet autumn, it also has a lovely fragrance in the fall. Color all season - no problem - if your fence is long enough why not different ones. You have a good idea with the mass. You can also incorporate a perennial sweetpea, blooms all yr too.

I vote for the plain old Jackmanii that Ironbelly mentioned ... because I like purple :)
SOS