clematis

Hi Thritfy, well, I'm not a fan of Clematis being planted in pots as my experience is that they don't do well. I visited a friend yesterday who had just taken two Clematis out of pots because they weren't exactly doing well and she has planted them in her borders and, already, is seeing the difference.
Then, for that reason only, I would not plant a Clematis in a pot, because if you would only be able to water the pot fortnightly, a pot would be most unsuitable as they need watering at least every 3 days and at the end of a fortnight the compost would be bone dry.

 

It may be a gravel garden, thrifty, but there should be soil underneath and, if there is, you could plant the Clematis into it, replace the gravel around it and, once given a good watering, the gravel will hold in the moisture while keeping the keeping the roots cool. If you can do that, then plant the Clematis slightly deeper.