north facing wall

vic14 · January 2015

Hello all, i have a 9ft high north facing wall in my garden. I was wondering if anyone could give advice on what kind of climber could go there. All i know so far is that i dont want anything that will try to rampage into the brickwork. Thanks in advance.

Dovefromabove · January 2015

Hydrangea petiolaris - the climbing hydrangea will cling to the wall and climb up it, but I've never known it to damage brickwork. It's very happy on a northfacing wall and will provide you with beautiful panicles of creamy white flowers. In the autumn the leaves will fall leaving a wonderful tracery of stems for you to admire during the winter. It's also a very popular nestsite for robins and wrens in my experience.

http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/hydrangea-anomala-subsp-petiolaris/classid.1665/

Obelixx · January 2015

All sorts of clematis and one or two roses will like it as long as the soil is generously enriched with plenty of well rotted garden compost and manure and handsful of pelleted chicken manure or blood, fish and bone for good measure. You will also need to attach panels of trellis or stretch training wires along it at 12 to 18 inch intervals to support them.

You can cnsult this website to search for clamtis which like a shady aspect - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/ or consult a specialist grower such as http://www.thorncroftclematis.co.uk/

For roses, have a look at Guinée, Mme Alfred Carrière, Zephirine Drouhin, Golden Showers, New Dawn, Souvenir du Dr Jamain. No doubt other posters will know a few more.

vic14 · January 2015

Thanks both. Definatley some food for thought. Dove that looks lovely do you think it would be easy to keep under control? I wouldnt want it to visit the neighbors! Though saying that whatever i put there the roots will be contained so would that help? Sorry for all the questions

Dovefromabove · January 2015

The climbing hydrangea is not rampant - it starts off quite slowly and gathers pace, but never grows at more than a medium rate - highly unlikely to annoy the neighbours.

vic14 · January 2015

Thats good then. I only ask because my other neighbours have ivy thats constantly invading. Its an ongoing battle! Also do you know if alpines would live happy in that sort of position? Thinking of doing a rockery aswell you see.

Dovefromabove · January 2015

It's nothing like ivy in it's behaviour, except that it clings to surface of the wall itself as ivy does. I've never known it to damage the wall and the local authority building I used to work in had several on it's walls - they'd been there for many years and were trimmed back once every couple of years, they were full of little birds and the walls were undamaged.

As for alpines, in my experience they need more sunlight than they will receive in a north-facing situation.

vic14 · January 2015

I will go for that then dove. Especially if my birds will like it. I feel quite guilty they liked the laurel that was there but it was in my builders way so i had to take it out i have replanted it further down the garden im not sure if it will survive though.

Welshonion · January 2015

Just asking but is the wall one where there will be a damp problem if you pile up anything like a rockery against it?

It's not a house or garage wall is it?

Ivy is a thug; not surprised there has been a problem with it.

vic14 · January 2015

Basically welsh im replacing the conservatory. There was previously a raised border in front of it which ive asked the builders to re instate. So they are going to do that for me aswell as ensuring that they do it in a way that no damp issues are caused. My plan then was to put various pots into it and fill the gaps between with mill waste adding some decorative stones/rocks on the surface. So really i was hoping to have a climber to add interest to the brickwall on my boundary,to have some nice plants in the sunken pots and maybe something growing in the stones. My garden drops away so the top of the raised bed will be below the floor level of my new extension. And youre right ivy is a thug

Dovefromabove · January 2015

What about planting the bed with a selection of interesting ferns, interspersed with Cyclamen coum and Cyclamen hederafolium. The cyclamen will flower in the autumn and winter. In the spring you'll get the interesting new fern fronds unfurling like Bishop's croziers, and in the summer you'll have the fully fledged ornamental ferns with the lovely creamy flowers of the hydrangea on the wall above them.

It'll all look very elegant.

Some snowdrops might look gorgous there too

north facing wall

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