When it comes to the late-winter garden, few tasks are as transformative—or as confusing—as pruning clematis. The golden rule for these climbers is dictated entirely by their flowering window. If you aren’t sure which variety you have, the old adage “if it flowers before June, do not prune” is a safe harbour. However, to get the best performance from your plants, it helps to understand which of the three specific categories they fall into.

Group One consists of the early-season stars like C. montana and C. armandii. These varieties bloom on “old wood”—the stems produced during the previous summer. Pruning them in February would mean sacrificing this year’s floral display. Aside from removing dead material, these should only be tidied up with shears immediately after they finish flowering in early summer.

Group Two includes the large-flowered hybrids such as ‘Nelly Moser’ or ‘The President’. These are the “middle ground” plants, often blooming twice. If you prune them aggressively now, you will lose that spectacular first flush of oversized flowers. Instead, February maintenance for this group should be light: simply remove weak or thin stems and trim the remaining vines back to the highest pair of strong, green buds to keep the plant tidy.

Group Three is where you can truly be bold this month. These late-season bloomers, such as C. jackmanii and the Viticella varieties, produce their flowers on entirely new growth. Because they start with a blank slate each spring, leaving last year’s tangled mass of brown stems actually hinders the plant. From mid-February, you should cut the entire plant back hard. Aim for about 60cm (2ft) above the soil level, ensuring you leave at least two sets of healthy buds on each stem. This aggressive approach encourages a flush of vigorous new vines that will be smothered in blooms by late summer.