Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Looking for the right climber

Clara MidgleyClara Midgley Posts: 31
in Plants

Looking for a bright, colourful flowery climber recommendation for a fairly sheltered, sunny, south facing white wall by my little patio. There’s not much space, so ideally not too big …around 2 metres in height …or one that’s happy to be pruned. We’ve got kids so non toxic is essential. We’ve got a few clematis and I would like something a little more exotic looking than a rose but keeping an open mind. Have had a look at the rhs search engine but a lot of its suggestions come without pics so thought I’d ask here for some inspiration 🙂

«1

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Ground or pot? Annuals or perennial?
    that will affect suggestions and choices - some aren't suited to pots  :)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    edited February 2022
    If you want bright and colourful, not roses or clematis, then would you consider annuals?
    Have a look at climbing nasturtiums, cobaea, abutilon and thunbergia.

    If you want something perennial and evergreen with a lovely perfume, but don't mind white flowers, then Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum Jasminoides) would be a good choice. It is easy to keep pruned.

    Will you be growing in a pot or in the ground?
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited February 2022
    Snap @Busy-Lizzie ;)
    Location is important too - those jasmines aren't hardy everywhere.
    Ipomeias are great too for another annual.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Yes @Fairygirl, but it's a sunny, south facing wall by a little patio. I had mine in a pot on a south facing wall in Dordogne and it survived -10° in winter. The leaves discolour but it perks up in spring.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Dry cold is easier though. Consistent low temps, with damp/wet conditions isn't so great. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I had a space to fill in a small west-facing border on my patio and for something completely different I chose a variety of Thornless Blackberry called Waldo.
    You can keep it to about 2m high and it's a little over 2m wide.
    It is covered in double white flowers in Spring and produces a lot of large, superb tasting blackberries starting around mid-July. I froze about 6Kg from the 1 plant last year.
    The leaves look good in autumn too as they change colour.
    Being a cultivated bramble - it is very hardy and disease free





    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Clara MidgleyClara Midgley Posts: 31
    Thanks for the suggestions! For a bit more clarity it’s directly in the ground where I removed a slab of patio, I added some compost and top it up with manure each year. I’m after a perennial and would like something a bit showy as we 
    already have alot of edibles, borrow the scent of jasmine from our neighbours garden and have honeysuckle x
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Have a look at this list of perennial climbers from Crocus and see if you find inspiration -
    https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/plcid.15/


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    edited February 2022
    Have you ruled out sweet peas?  You can't beat them for colour, fragrance and the choice of varieties now available.  (Have a look at the range offered by Chiltern Seeds - don't go for the typical GC vartieties!)  I usually select three complimentary colours and grow them up a simple teepee made with bamboo canes - looks like traditional gardening!  Bees love them too! You can easily lean your canes against the wall as an alternative framework.

    If I haven't convinced you, how about this, it's perennial and evergreen:

    Sollya heterophylla - BBC Gardeners World Magazine
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • UffUff Posts: 3,199
    That's pretty Plantminded. I'm thinking that would look fabulous against my white walls.  :) 
    SW SCOTLAND but born in Derbyshire
Sign In or Register to comment.