How do you add fragrance, beautiful white blossoms, and verticality to the late-summer and early-fall landscape or garden.

The answer is to plant sweet autumn clematis. Sold under a variety of botanical names, including Clematis ternifolia, Clematis paniculata, Clematis maximowicziana, and Clematis dioscoreifolia, this hardy, vigorous vine can reach 20 to 30 feet in length.

It produces small but pretty, very fragrant ivory blooms complemented by semi-evergreen to evergreen dark green foliage.

Sweet autumn clematis needs an arbor, trellis, small tree, or other structure around which it can anchor itself. You can also plant it to twine up a vigorous climbing rose that will reach equal height. Its ornamental seed pods appear after the flowers, lending interest well into late fall.

Care
Needs moist, well-drained soil. Each spring, cut plants back to the ground to encourage better flowering. Then fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer or compost. After vines are several inches tall, pinch the tips to encourage better branching and therefore better flowering.

Planting
Provide a lattice-like support structure that can accommodate this vine's mature height at planting time. Place the plant's crown at least 2 inches below the surface and add a slow-release fertilizer to the planting hole. Mulch to keep roots cool. If possible, plant shallow annuals or perennials at its base to keep the clematis roots cool.

Pests and Diseases
If site is too hot and dry, spider mites may be a problem.