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Climbing plants for shallow soil/concrete courtyard
demortu
Posts: 2
Hello all!
At the end of last year I finally acquired a mortgage on a property with a small concrete courtyard garden (UK) with some decking to one side.
I'm keen to improve the look/feel with climbing plants up the walls.Ideally pretty & fragrant.
I was attracted to honeysuckle & some decorative vines, but understand they need deep planters/soil which is not really practical with limited space.
I've just had the bright idea of climbing nasturtiums, beans & tomatoes - but wondered if y'all could offer any suggestions? Probably anticipating soil depth on planters of 30-60cm max!
Thanks in advance 
- David
0
Posts
Nasturtiums, beans and tomatoes won't mix well. Beans and tomatoes need deep compost with plenty of nutrients and moisture. In planters they will need daily watering and regular feeding. Nasturtiums flower best in poor soil. You also need to consider which way the walls face and any shade cast by neighbouring buildings or trees as light levels will also affect what will do well.
I suggest you post a picture of your courtyard and tell us which way the the back wall faces and then maybe we can offer some advice. Also - will it be one long trough or several individual containers?
Hi Obelixx,
Thanks for the swift response! I'll aim to set up some different planters/pots against the walls (and on the decking).
I'm hoping to cover three walls, one sunny West/South West facing & a North & East facing. I rather blundered onto the forum with very little information(!). I'll take some pics at the weekend & approx measurements.
I was considering planters akin to these (which seem to usually be limited to a depth of 20-30cm) if feasible, but happy to have a ramshackle/odd pots appearance:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruddings-Wood-Wooden-Trough-Planter/dp/B01F0AYMIA/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1515161395&sr=8-15&keywords=planter
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Set-120cm-Wooden-Trough-Planters/dp/B06W2J52NW/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1515161395&sr=8-13&keywords=planter
Pics to follow - and thanks again!
- David
I fear they are very narrow and very shallow and have to wonder how long the wood will stay looking good once it's full of compost and being regularly watered. You could tack black plastic to the insides to help protect the wood and you'll need holes in the bottom as well as some ballast to make sure roots aren't sitting in puddles.
How are your carpentry skills? Can you make some of your own using wood from a timber merchant or building supplier? That way you can make it wider and deeper for a more permanent planting scheme. See here for the kind of thing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX7A9B9yBjU more on google I expect.
I would always go with metal planters rather than wood, which looks nice but really doesn't last too long, even if treated. I've just got rid of 3 expensive ones, that lasted only about 6 years, they were supposed to last 15.
I have a metal trough planter, it's 1 foot across the top back to front, about 2 feet deep and its width from side to side is about 2 and a half feet.
I have a rose in it, that's been there for 4 years and will be there for as long as I want it to be, I renew some of the top soil each year and feed generously. I also have a metal support for it.
Here are a couple of photos, as you could do something like this if you wanted.. roses may not be your thing though.. choose smaller growing plants, you don't want monsters.
early Spring..
and from June onwards..
You could check out some of the Boulevard series clematis - specially designed for pots on patios. They are very pretty, but not fragrant.
Have you thought about attaching containers to the walls and planting with a mixture of trailing and upright plants, that way covering the wall but without the large root systems of climbers to think about?
Having filled my garden to capacity, I've have had to switch to growing on the vertical!
On one fence, I have an old wooden shelving unit, which came from a garage sale (I think it was actually the top part of an old dresser or similar originally), which I use a bit like an 'auricula theatre' and place pots on of whatever is looking it's best, sometimes auriculas, but also small potted Box plants, pots and bowls of alpines, strawberries, herbs, spring bulbs, annuals, etc.
It's easy to string some solar lights around this type of thing and create a nice night-time display too.
Other unusual up-cycled planters, such as old rusty metal guttering fitments, painted up and fitted to the wall, have a mix of various plants in throughout the year - Pelargoniums, trailing Nepeta, Lobelia, hostas, ferns, potted ivies, etc.
By keeping things in containers inside the decorative containers, I can vary the displays as I wish.
You can also buy 'pocket planters' for walls and fences, which are ideal for covering larger sections.
All the best.
pbff
Last edited: 06 January 2018 09:35:54
If a container is large, 60cms tall, you can grow quite a lot. I have clematis and some of the smaller David Austin climbing roses in them, but they do need regular feeding and watering.
A friend of mine has galvanised cattle troughs as planters, some bought on EBay, some new from farm suppliers. There is a plug hole but he drilled more for drainage. They look quite good in his garden.
I have a scented clematis in a pot, Betty Corning, she flowers quite a long time.
Most of my pots are terracotta (mind they are frost proof) and resin that looks like terracotta or lead, also some fibre glass mixture ones. The only wooden one that I had only lasted a few years.
I love resin "terracotta" and "verdigris copper" pots and even ones that are unashamedly plastic . Cheap enough if you can get them in the sales, weather resistant and lighter to move around.