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Climber for this SW wall

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  • Thanks all, I've gone off the idea of all that trellis and very high work. What about common English ivy, the one that is great for wildlife? It will still need high work eventually but shouldn't need trellis?
  • RosePinkRosePink Posts: 231
    I’ve got a wall very similar to yours & grow cotoneaster lacteus against it. It’s self supporting, evergreen, only ever gets rainwater & has beautiful berries in the autumn. Only needs a tidy up now & then, very easy to look after. 
    Somerset
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Nice idea @RosePink
    I think that would be a very good choice, and easy to maintain.
    Lots of nectar for the bees and berries for the birds too.

    Ivy would work, but it'll make a mess of the brickwork where it clings on and I don't think it would look right - but that's just my opinion- it's not my wall.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Is the cotoneaster easy to train? How it that done?
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It doesn't need any training, and doesn't need pruning - unless you choose to prune it.
    It's a self-supporting large shrub.
    It'll get to about 15ft wide and tall

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/4629/cotoneaster-lacteus/details

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • This writer says that ivy is not threat to new houses, but that English Ivy can damage old houses: https://www.fantasticgardeners.co.uk/tree-surgery/does-ivy-damage-walls/
    Maybe our 8 yr old house will be fine with a less aggressive species. I had no idea this would be such a tough decision :D
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Yes, it's a good idea
  • Fire said:
    Yes, it's a good idea
    Hi @Fire, which idea do you like, the cotoneaster?

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Yes.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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