Clematis Armanii

[james miles]

I have a Clematis Armanii and the leaves turn dark brown and die ive had it 3 or 4 years.Cause and cure please.At the moment it seems to have flower buds on for the first time. Also could you tell me whats the best feed for it.

[Thunderbird+]

These are a beautiful evergreen Clematis that should be out in bloom in most places but it is a bit tender to cold weather and it's my guess that it's suffering from a condition known as 'Spring Scorch' which is often the affects of cold north-northeast winds at this time of the year, resulting in rapid water lose of the leaves.
Hopefully when the cold winds drop it will begin to recover.
In the mean-time give it plenty of water at the roots remove any dead leaves, if they are still hanging on and feed with a slow-release granular fertilizer as directed. Good Luck Tbird+

[Clanad]

If your reference is to Clematis armandii, known as Armands clematis here in the U.S., I certainly concur (as usual) with Thunderbird. Armand's is very tender by the way. While many clematis winter over in really cold temperatures here in the western U.S. (ours often get as low as -30 degrees F) Armand's is only rated to Zones 8-10, which is semi-tropical. So, if, as T-bird states, it begins growth with the first blush of spring and then is surprised by freezing temperatures it will produce the reaction you've noticed. Best of luck!