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Suggestions for climbers please.

HotwaxHotwax Posts: 51
in Plants
My husband has built a rustic arch using leftover pressure-treated poles, screwed together and lashed with coir rope. My job now is to plant it up! It’s a site in full sun, the soil is quite good (clay improved over the years with compost etc), and we are in the Southwest near Bath. I don’t want anything too heavy (not sure about the strength of construction!), so no honeysuckle or jasmine. I am thinking of a rose / clematis combination, but not sure about colours that go well together, plus pruning regimes  that work, plus nothing too vigorous or thorny. Or possibly a permanent evergreen, and annual climbers like sweet peas. The other thing is what can I put in between the poles for the plants to climb up? I’m not very keen on plastic netting. Suggestions gratefully accepted!

Posts

  • HotwaxHotwax Posts: 51
    Sorry! Forgot the photo.
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    Clem. Viticella sorts are good for this. They cover quickly but die down over winter (windier time) and like these sort of situations. Not sure about a rose as I'm thinking about the thorns as you pass through.

    An example of viticella clem. Is this one: Betty Corning. Also has a lovely scent.


  • dappledshadedappledshade Posts: 1,017
    That’s a beautiful clem 😊

    A good evergreen climber that won’t swamp others because it is very slow growing too, is star jasmine. I’ve got one on one side of my arch, with clematis Sally on the left winding itself up through rosa New Dawn.

  • HotwaxHotwax Posts: 51
    Thanks for that. Your climbers look lovely. I especially like the idea of a viticella.
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