Plant suggestions for a garage wall bed

Andy-84 · July 2023

I have a garage in front of my house. The wall is south-south-east facing so it gets sun most of the day. I have a bed along the wall that I was thinking of covering in silver stones, with either a planter in the middle, or two/three large pots, with climbing plants, and hanging wires on the wall.

I imagine planting in pots or a planter will slow the growth somewhat and be easier to weed. I still get some sort of trumpet vine popping up from the ground there, the sort that attracts wasps, which I've been trying to kill off.

What sort of climbing plants might do well there, and is planting in large pots or a planter a workable idea? I'm open to other ideas too. Thanks for any suggestions.

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Busy-Lizzie · July 2023

Plants are really happier in the ground. Pots are could when you need something on paving or concrete but you have earth. But is it good earth? It can always be improved. I love roses so I would grow a large climbing rose there with some easy perennials along the bed. Have a look at David Austin. The rose could be trained out sideways which will make it have more flowers.

Pots need feeding and watering which can be awkward when you go on holiday. They can also be nicked, depending on your area.

Loxley · July 2023

Pots are only really a solution for small climbers, and in a hot south facing site it's even trickier. Have you considered a wall shrub rather than a climber? You could train something against the wall that you can prune to keep in shape. Ceonothus is a popular one. It won't mind poor soil if it's well drained.

Fairygirl · July 2023

I'd agree that for permanent planting, you'd be better sorting out the soil and getting a climber/shrub in that rather than containers. The ground will probably not be great, so that will need some help so that anything you plant will have a good chance of thriving. It's always worth spending as much on the prep as you do on the plants

There are plenty of plants that will be fine there, many clematis, the roses @Busy-Lizzie mentions, and annuals like Ipomoea. Wall shrubs as @Loxley says will also be fine. Escallonia is another, and also Pyracantha, although that has thorns so may not be suited to your needs. Great for wildlife though. You can add other tall, narrow plants as well if you like - Verbena bonariensis and ornamental fennel for example, and smaller perennials and bulbs to give a longer season of interest

The other alternative is to make it into a raised bed which will help initially, as you'd have some decent soil right away, but the base would still need attention first. You'd get some height instantly too, although the construction wouldn't have to be very high - even 9 - 12 inches will give a good start to plants. If you do that, make sure you use soil to fill it, and not just compost.
Planters/pots aren't necessarily easier to maintain re weeds - a bed/border can have ground covering planting which makes that easier, and a bed will be easier to keep watered as it won't dry out as quickly.

Cam you describe the plant that you're trying to get rid of? I'm wondering if it's bindweed. That could be problematic if it is.

JennyJ · July 2023

I grow my tomato plants in pots in a similar location, against the south-facing side wall of the garage. The canes are tied in to a couple of horizontal wires stretched against the wall, and the plants are tied in to the canes as they grow. Nothing there in the winter though.

Andy-84 · July 2023

It seems you all think the pot idea isn't a good one. The soil may be a bit salt/mineral rich as the weeds that grow there have white blotchy leaves. There is clay a bit deeper.

The trumpet vine weed I mentioned, does look like hedge bindweed. It only grows at the right hand end now.

If I dig in some bought bagged soil, and turn it over a bit, would that be sufficient to improve the soil for planting?

I suppose I should focus on evergreen plants, so that wall stays covered year-round. I hadn't considered wall shrubs so I'll look into that a bit more. Seems there are some nice evergreen varieties. Do these shrubs still need climbing wires or trellis?

Roses and Clematis. Seems there are some options there too.

Fairygirl · July 2023

Shrubs wouldn't really need wires/supports, but roses and clems will, although some roses will be 'free standing' depending on type. Again - the others who grow them will be able to help with that.
I'd use rotted manure for helping the soil condition - it can be bought bagged at GCs and DIY stores, if you don't have a local source - riding school etc, and you can add compost as well. No need to really mix it in, but it's worth breaking up the soil that's there first and seeing what the space is like in terms of footings etc from your garage. That can restrict the space the plants have, and could make it harder for them to establish, especially woody shrubs. If there's a problem with that, it's worth doing the raised bed method as that will help enormously with getting a good base for any plants you put in. The better the prep, the better the chance of your planting doing well

You may have to work a bit if there's bindweed - it can be a real thug. The easiest method is to put a cane in, let it climb that, and then apply a weedkiller to the growth, enclosing it in a plastic bag to prevent it touching anything else. You could do that now if there's an obvious plant growing in your plot.

Plant suggestions for a garage wall bed

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