which cimbing plant is best?

[beryllium]

Hi There, we are looking to get a climbing plant suitable to cover the quite a large space. Truly, we are not gardeners and have no real idea. We would like a very fast growing plant that is evergreen? or maybe victorian ivy? do we start making the ground healthier by putting manure in now? what other pretty climbers are available?

From a very confused wannabe gardener....

[WendyS]

If you want something evergreen that rules out most of the flowering plants I would suggest. I think ivy is probably one of the best because there are so many variegated varieties which have green & white leaves or green & yellow leaves which add colour to your garden in winter when everything else is barren. . There are also varieties with big leaves or little leaves so there are plenty to choose from. If you go to the "Climbers" section in any good garden centre I'm sure you'll find something suitable. It thrives in almost any kind of soil although obviously if you dig in some manure or compost now and water it in well you will get it off to a good start. Thereafter it will need virtually no attention apart from pruning it back if it outgrows it allocated space.

[andyjevs]

There are many different types of climber available. Of the faster growing varieties, you could look at Wisteria, russian vine, Virginian creeper, clematis montana, some of the honeysuckles and grape vines....but unfortunately non of those are evergreen.

Jasine officinale is quick growing and evergreen plus you get the scented flowers and some of the larger leaf ivy such as hedera canariensis are superb.

One of the more vigorous roses may fit the bill but again might loose their leaves.

Although not a climber, ceonothus, abutilon and pyracantha are evergreen and have lovely flowers or berries in the case of the latter.

A slower growing plant but one of my faves is trachelospermum jasminoides...white jasmine like flowers, gloriuosly scented and evergreen.

It probably wouldn't hurt to start digging in manure now but you could add it when you plant.

Hope this has been of some help

[andyjevs]

Just remembered that a hardy passionflower will grow quickly too but may lose it's leaves a bit

[Lonnie]

I'm a great lover of the Passion flower, as andyjevs has said, it probably will lose leaves for the winter, but you can use its fruits in things like jam making, but i'd steer clear of Russian Vine, it is a lovely plant, but you;ll fight a losing battle keeping it in check.

[beryllium]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you........

What lovely sounding plants and I have decided on trachelospermum jasminoides for the front of the house...to walk by scented plants just fills me with happiness.....

and for another part, seperate from the main house I will choose a larger leaved ivy, as hedera canariensis... which sounds equally as lovely...

Once again the hugest of thanks.

B.

[beryllium]

just a quickie for Lonnie, I do love passion flowers and I think theres one in the back garden but, should it get some leaves I may be able to tell. At the moment whatever the plant is, it looks decidedly deaded....

[andyjevs]

You won't regret the trachelospermum....they're not the quickest growing climber but they have lovely, glossy evergreen leaves and gloriously scented flowers for most of the summer....i have one outside the front door and it's devine.

The ivy will provide evergreen colour all year round with it's gorgeous large varigated leaves.

Good luck

[andyjevs]

Oh....once you've planted the climbers, sprinkle a packet of night scented stock seeds around the base.....you won't be disappointed

[beryllium]

I want to go out and start digging now, night scented stock sounds so beautiful... just the name alone. The garden when we moved had not had any love for a long long time, and we spent last summer trying to discover the grass under, well, just under!!! looking beautiful and growing well now.... a huge project, that of course, will be never ending... :-)

Thank you Andy...

[logman]

When choosing climbers, I think its important to select the right plant for the right place, ie is it a warm sunny aspect, like a south facing wall,thats sheltered ? Or maybe it cool and shaded,perhaps facing north or east and exposed to bitter cold winds for much of the time.

Another thing you way wish to consider is, how the plant climbs, some are self supporting and need little encouragement, others need a little training til they get the hang of it.

I will suggest a few that have various requirements,so you have a mixed bag to consider.

Clematis have beautiful flowers and a few are evergreen too, if you have a warm s. facing sunny wall to cover then you gwow clematis armandii, apple blossom or snowdrift are to spectacular varieties and are fairly hardy, they prefer moist soil thats slightly alkaline (chalky)

Climbing Hydrangias are real beuts and will grow in any aspect including cool shady walls and can eventualy reach 20m (60ft) with masses of white flowers.

Two other good climbers that are not evergreen or have pretty flowers, but make up for it with their lovely, brilliant scarlet autumn foliage, is Parthenocissus, either virginia creeper or boston Ivy, they are great for covering walls, but instead of twining, they use small sucker-like pads and are self supporting. THey will thrive in almost any aspect and tolerant of most soil conditions and are thoroughly hardy, reaching 9m (30ft)if unpruned. Best of Luck..

[logman]

Sorry beryllium, a few typo hic ups, Re clematis, it should say then you could grow

[gucciman]

i'm an experienced and enthusiastic gardener and i have to say the best results i have had have been with passion flowers. they are semi-evergreen, grow fast, fuss free, flower for months, and they have the most beautiful flowers you will ever see.

[logman]

I agree the passion flower is a stunning flower and as well as the usual blue and purple flower of passiflora caeruea, there is also a white form 'Constance Elliott' and a red C. racemosa. They like a sunny aspect and are best trained on wires, horizontaly on a wall. Size 2m (6ft) after three years and can eventualy reach 6m (20ft) in favourable mild areas. It likes a mulch around the roots and dose well on rose fertilizer given in the spring..

[raysparx]

We put Virginia Creeper in and it is quite a rapid grower(depending on where you live) and the colours in autumn are fantastic. A good fast growing rose is Albertin (think thats how it's spelt) you can train that all over the wall

[beryllium]

Hello... thank you for all these lovely ideas, one of the walls is south facing and in a courtyard style garden, the front of the house is south facing and all is beautifully sunny. Now I will start with the trachelospermum jasminoides for the scent and the ivy for the other wall and I will definately look at the rose and, Yes, the passion flower seems a very firm favorite with all of you green fingered wonderful gardeners, so I will find a very special place for the one I choose. And thats a promise... :-)

On an extra note, our daffs are sprouting like gooduns and we planted a couple of Whiskey Mac roses last year, in memory of my grandfather and they seem to be hanging on too.

All of your advice has been truly appreciated and very much taken on board...

Thank You...

B.

[The Tiggster]

Hi, I know that you've had loads of great answers, but thought you might like the look of the flower in the link below. I haven't grown one (yet), but was looking at buying some to hand out at my sons' baptism as a keep sake (his name is Elliot). I thought they looked beautiful & seem to be able to cope well with the british climate very well.

Passionflowerconstanceelliot

[beryllium]

Thank you, The Tiggster, for the picture of constance elliot passion flower.... also recommended by logman, so is definitely a real winner!!! That's the one now for somewhere in the back part of the house, and still south facing fortunately.

Here's to a Happy Summer.....

B.