I built a pergola that my neighbours laughed, "can be seen from space", it was so large, to house a mature wisteria in my newly purchased house that the previous owners cut off at the neck at about three feet each year.
There is one growing in The Park estate in Nottingham. It is in the middle of a front garden, and grown over a strong umbrella shaped support, well away from any building. It looks glorious every year.
Wisteria can be grown as a ‘standard’ on a trunk if supported. St Giles Church in Norwich has a ‘hedge’ of wisteria around the churchyard. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sD_eEBTlZ6A
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I think a wisteria will be fine on that fence @WillDB as long as the wires are well anchored and tensioned. Wisteria stems become woody and self supporting as they age. Neither of ours has any supports other than their own woody stems.
However, I also think that in the UK the flowering display is likely to be one big burst for a couple of weeks in May and then, if it's warm enough, sporadic flowers for the rest of the summer so you really have to like the foliage and the pruning and also the carpet of petals which can be very thick when they all fall.
I'd go for a good repeat flowering rambling rose instead - longer flowering season and you can pair it with a group 3 clematis to make pruning easy and get a long season of flowers in summer.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Crikey, this is complicated stuff. I’m so confused.
Lots of small-ish houses have it growing up the front of their houses, often in compact spaces with wire supports. But pretty much everyone suggests not doing it.
I think a wisteria will be fine on that fence @WillDB as long as the wires are well anchored and tensioned. Wisteria stems become woody and self supporting as they age. Neither of ours has any supports other than their own woody stems.
I'd go for a good repeat flowering rambling rose instead - longer flowering season and you can pair it with a group 3 clematis to make pruning easy and get a long season of flowers in summer.
Thanks, interesting thoughts. I do love type 3 clematis - they must be the easiest to keep looking tidy. A type with smallish dark flowers would be OK, I don't want it to detract from the planting in front of it. I'm most interested in clothing the fence with foliage tbh. Wisteria may still make sense in that it flowers earlier whereas my perennials are generally late flowering.... hmmm
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
However, I also think that in the UK the flowering display is likely to be one big burst for a couple of weeks in May and then, if it's warm enough, sporadic flowers for the rest of the summer so you really have to like the foliage and the pruning and also the carpet of petals which can be very thick when they all fall.
I'd go for a good repeat flowering rambling rose instead - longer flowering season and you can pair it with a group 3 clematis to make pruning easy and get a long season of flowers in summer.
I might stick to hanging baskets.