Are you sure it is 'Earnest Markham'? IME, this is a pruning group 3 clem (late LFH) - blooms on new growth but in mid to late summer. I would be surprised at early season flowering......... In any case, whatever pruning is done now should be quite light. I only fertilize with a slow release fert at the start of the season for all my clems but a light fertilization now won't hurt.

I don't know. the tag said EM and they told me at the greenhouse where I bought it that's what it is. So not sure. It really had a load of flowers on it this spring.

Would a pic of it help? This was taken 5-20.

Clematis on the web says that EM sometimes has early flowers, but the main flowering is on the new growth. I have no personal experience with it.

Since it has flowered during the time that most early large flowered hybrids bloom, I would go for a light cut back and give it some alfalfa meal or rose food. See what happens since you can’t really harm a Clematis by pruning it “wrong”.

Thank you. I love it!!

This is my old EM from 2013. Looks like yours. It is a group 2 or 3 but treat as a group 3 if you want more flowers. Who doesn't lol?