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I Like Climbing Plants |
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Unlike other plants that are at our head height such as small trees and large shrubs, they don't take up a huge amount of space. Some of favourite plants are climbers. From the delicately beautiful and wonderfully scented flowers of sweet peas to the great masses of flowers on Rosa "Kiftsgate" and giant dinner-plate sized leaves of the aptly named "Crimson Glory Vine" Vitis coignetiae when in its autumnal glory.
This means that they can grow that much more quickly, produce more leaves more quickly and produce and keep producing flowers and fruit. As a bonus, all this happens just about where our major sense organs happen to be. Climbers can be used in so many different ways.
if you have a garden, then you can grow climbers, the trick is in choosing
the right ones and growing them in the right way, in particular with
the right kind of support. They are easy to manipulate into doing what
we want them to do and go where we want them to go. Because they need
a support and can't grow without the support, they tend to be very
obedient in the respect. |
Climbers are incredibly versatile plants. They tend to grow fairly quickly
and do their stuff at about our head height. This means that we
don't have to bend over to appreciate them fully. 
Climbers
don't need to put as much energy or effort into support as other
types of plants. Why make big woody stems and trunks if you can lean
on another plant (or trellis / wall / pergola etc.) that has already
done it for you. |
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Climbers are my favourite plants and I find it very difficult not to recommend loads of them, I've been very strict with myself and so here are some of the best. Some popular favourites, some less well known - and I didn't even start to look at jasmines or roses.....
Annuals from seed
Various
shades or red, yellow and orange. Easy and reliable, dwarf varieties
are available which are good in hanging baskets (though I'm
at a loss as to why they'd be sown anywhere else). Big seeds
and quick germination with lots of large showy flowers make
them good for children to sow. Prone to being eaten by cabbage
white caterpillars - though when that happens I tell myself
I'm now growing butterflies instead of flowers.
Wonderful
bright blue trumpet shaped flowers all summer long that keep
on coming as long as you dead-head every day, feed and water
well.
Traditionally these should be sown on St.Patrick's day,
March the 17th. If you don't have room in the garden to
put them in the ground, grow them as I do, in a large container
about 45cm in all dimensions using a wigwam of canes within
this to support the plants once they begin to grow. Can also
be sown in pots with some protection in the autumn, or even
straight into the ground in autumn, just remember where you
put them and keep the area weed free.Perennial Bobby Dazzlers
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A huge choice of named varieties are
available in a myriad of shades of blue through purple to red. Great
velvety petals of flowers frequently 4-6" across. Flower in late
spring and often with a second, smaller showing in the autumn. C.
x jackmannii, blue / purple large flowers - best grown semi-informally
rather than confined to a 2-dimensional trellis or wall. |
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Spring
flowering clematis, fast growing and rather large, need a good
big support, will happily scramble through a tree or informal
hedge. Usually come in varieties of pale pink though white ones
available too. Twiner with leaf tendrils.
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Probably
the most popular self-clinger whose homeland is actually Japan. It clings
very closely to its support and, once established, is extremely vigorous.
Its autumn colouring is a knockout brilliant magenta. The leaves have
a shiny gloss. Considered by some to be rather coarse, if this includes
you, then go for the next plant.
Ok
I admit it, I like big plants more than small ones. Rosa "Kiftsgate"
is a rambling rose that always wanted to be a tree. You need space for
this one and a large support. A large mature tree will do nicely, I've
also seen them doing well grown along a long post and rail fence where
the length of run has made up for lack of altitude. A wonderful plant,
hardy and vigorous with an indecent quantity of large sprays of white
scented flowers. A good intruder barrier too, the thorns were rejected
by the people who invented barbed wire because they were too brutal
(I just made that bit up - but I wouldn't try and climb through
it, no matter how drunk). -
Scrambler - backwards pointing thorns,
need tying in at first.
Arguably
the finest of all climbers (no argument as far as I'm concerned).
A member of the pea family with great trailing racemes of vivid blue
or purple flowers in late spring (white ones are available, though I
tend to regard them in the same category as red Delphiniums - why?).
They can be quite slow to flower and it's the grafted named varieties
that perform best, so dig deep in your pocket when going to buy one.
Get a good cultivar and as large as you can afford. They need regular
pruning of new growth to keep them flowering rather than just producing
leaf. - Twiner.
One
of my favourite climbers this one, large bright green heavily textured
leaves up to 12" across whose autumn colours earn it its common
name. A vigorous and large plant that will grow to 50ft if given
space in a mature tree, alternatively grow it up and over a pergola
to give summer shade and autumn fireworks.