This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Boston ivy
chicken chaser
Posts: 147
in Plants
I have a rather unsightly garage wall which I look onto from my garden room. Its been painted magnolia previously, I intend to paint it a pale shade of green in spring.
I'm considering growing Boston ivy on it. Its only 8ft high though but 17ft long. The brick is good but I'm curious as to whether others would be tempted to grow it on a single storey building? I'm looking to plant in front of it some shade loving plants as its a North facing wall. What do you reckon?
0
Posts
It will be ok but you will have to be aware it might creep into the roof space, why not try one of the climbing hydrangeas they do well On a North facing wall. One sort is evergreen so you would have cover all the time unlike Boston Ivy which is deciduous .
I have Hydrangea anomala ssp anomala 'Winter Surprise'
Reliably evergreen, hardy, goes reddish in winter but not yet clinging on after 3 years.
I still prefer the basic H. anomala, deciduous but with attractive flowers, dried heads and bark.
I'd not have the parthenocissus, not a long enough season of interest as well as the invasive tendency.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks for the spread of opinion and ideas! The growth rate concerns me slightly particularly with it being a fairly low wall. I do however like the fact that it is a self clinger. I've got quite a lot of bare fencing which I want to mask or cover with planting as I have much more mature gardens behind mine with large shrubs. The intention is to blend my garden in with their shrubs so that it gives the appearance that they are in my garden. Unfortunately it means I'll need a fair amount of trellising to achieve this so having a self climber would have been ideal!
I certainly wouldn't grow Boston Ivy...that's more for a mansion that employs staff to see to it...
..I like to try something different that you don't see everywhere and wonder if you might like this one... especially as you will be painting your wall a pale shade of green.... This one is evergreen with dark green leaves, and white flowers... self clinging... and not aggressive.... see what you think...
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/13019/Pileostegia-viburnoides/Details
There's a tower block of flats in Norwich with Boston Ivy reaching at least to the 10th floor - if that's what you want then yes, go for it
- but I wouldn't - if you want to keep it within the bounds of your wall and not have it invade the roofspace and damage the tiles it will need regular trimming from you.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The hydrangea would need trellising
Hydrangea anomala, aka petiolaris, is self clinging
In the sticks near Peterborough
As far as I know Hydrangea Seemanii is self clinging as well, it might need a little help ie secure by canes, but once it gets going it's ok.
OK I think the Boston Ivy is out. I thought it may be too aggressive for the position. I love the red leaves in autumn but ill for something else.
I'm looking for something that earns its place in a relatively small garden. The hydrangea looks like the kind of thing I'd go for but self clinging would be ideal