I think the color combo would be fine. Rubromarginata has more of a redish edge and Ville de Lyon is more pink. XRM is more white though than any other color so it should be fine color wise. My XRM gets huge and overwhelms other clematis planted with it. I had it growing with Kerminsina and had to move it because it was smothering it. In cold climates like yours a lot of growers have problems with this clematis. It may stay small and well behaved for you. In my climate it needs lots of room. I would try it. If it gets too big for your Ville de Lyon you can always move one later. I love both of those clematis. The XRM is also very fragrant and blooms for me for 2 months or longer and has thousands of blooms. Here are a few photo's.

Kerminsina and XRM

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Xtriternata rubra marginata

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Karen

wow.

I planted a passion flower with mine (hoping the passion flower will take the low ground and let the clematis have the high)

Mine was small last year (1st year, 2 stems) but this year has put up 11 stems! How wide and tall would you say yours is, Karen?

~Chills

Hi Chills, it's about 10 x 10 in the photo. It will climb up on the roof and continue to grow up that. I think it would get larger but it runs out of room and grows back on itself. KAREN

That is gorgeous but it is also the reason I don't grow XRM, it scares me :-)

Carol

I'm SOOOOOOOOOO glad I have this clematis. That is awesome. I can't wait til mine really takes off.

Robert

Thanks so much for the response. In the end, they are both pruning 3's so if it didn't work well, I could move the Ville de Lyon when I prune it all back.

I have a 25 foot high tree trunk in the far corner of my yard that someone cut the top of the tree off before I bought the house. (I think it was ComEd) I thought it was dead because it is bare all the way up, but there are now leaves growing from the severe cut at the top, so it is alive. I am going to let the Rubromarginata climb and cover the 25 feet of bare tree trunk which is also pretty big around. In spots, I wrapped the trunk with bird netting to be sure it would have something to help it get all the way up.

We'll see what happens! If mine grows anywhere as well as Karen's it will be quite a sight.

Thanks again!

I have mine with Polish Spirit. Both vigorous growers. In hind sight I would have planted it with a different or contrasting color as it gets lost at the top of the arbour. Both are fairly similar in color.
The arbour is 8' and this will be the fourth year in that location.
Sorry no pics.
Dana