In what way was it a dud? Are you only interested in Vyvyan Pennell (note spelling) or are you asking if newer varieties are better? Have you grown other clematis that do well?

I have 45 clems and some are better than others. It all depends on locations, etc. However, VP is an old clem, about 15 years and has never done well but it is still alive and produces about 2 flowers per season. I tend to hang on to them longer than I should. Do newer cultivars of VP perform better? I am tempted to try again as it is a beautiful plants. Thanks

Vyvyan Pennell is a hybrid, so there aren't other cultivars of VP. So if it hasn't done well for you in one spot, you could move it to see if it's happier, but I wouldn't expect another one to do any better in the same spot.

There are other clematis that are double, but if you are as far north as I am don't expect to see them flowering double most years. Many of the doubles only flower double on last season's stems, and in my cold zone the old stems rarely survive. So they only bloom single.

Paul and Charlotte, without location info, it's often difficult to sort out problems, so you might want to add that to your profile so it shows up next to your name whenever you post. Here's how:

Go to Your Houzz in the upper right of every page, click Edit Profile, and on the left side click advanced settings. Well down the advanced settings page is a blank labeled Climate Zone for Garden Forums along with a link to find your zone.

If you add info on your state or the nearest large city you will get even better information since zone only relates to average coldest winter temperatures.

Then return to the top of the page and click Done Editing.

There seems to be some misunderstanding of what a 'cultivar' is :-) Cultivar stands for cultivated variety and that designation is assigned to only one particular plant. Whether it was purchased 20 years ago or last week, a Vyvyan Pennell is a Vyvyan Pennell - they are both exactly the same plants (provided they are labeled correctly and purchased from a reputable grower). Cultivars don't change or evolve over time.......any changes in the breeding would result in the introduction of an entirely new plant under a different name.

VP is considered a standby in the world of double flowering clems, introduced in 1959 and a recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

My V.P. in 2015

Annette