[Sleepingpopman]

Hi Everyone 
We have had a Dr Rupple clematis (early flowering type) in a big plastic tub
happily growing right up the front of our east facing shed (block paved area)
for the last 5 years but this year it failed so in Late July we re-potted it in a
much bigger tub. It's already shot up about 4' & has 6 flower buds on it 
My question is :-
What do I do with it over the colder months, I used to cut it right back & it
used to grow back, do I do the same again this year or would it be better to
leave & put fleece around it.
I look forward to your thoughts.
Keith. 

[New shoot]

It sounds like it was pot bound and needed to move up to the bigger container.  This type will re-flower in autumn if they are pruned after the first show of blooms.  The new pot has sparked the same response.

The flowers may or may not open depending on what the weather does, but I would take the buds off if they sit there doing nothing for too long.  If they open, take the dead flowers off as soon as they finish.   Once the flowers are done with, I would prune it.  It will make flowering shoots from the growth it has made this year, so how hard you prune depends on how big you want the plant to be next year