On 12/06/18 11:24, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Jeff Layman wrote:
On 12/06/18 10:05, wrote:
Oops, a very important bit of info missed: the west, near the Welsh borders.
Well, that area can be /very/ cold at times, but maybe you're in a more
sheltered spot. As per Charlie's post, I can vouch for Lonicera
alseuosmoides being untouched by -6 deg C, but If you get down to much
lower than that in heavy frosts, it wouldn't be suitable.
That's pretty mild. Even last winter, which was a mild one, dropped
to -8 Celsius here. My experience is that there is just one reliably
hardy evergreen climber - Hedera helix - though H. colchica is probably
OK down to -10 Celsius or so. There are many others, including those
you mention, that will survive colder winters, but their leaves always
drop, burn or shrivel if there is a cold spell.
I don't disagree, although I would expect an oil tank of average size -
maybe a couple of thousand litres - to retain a fair amount of "heat"
(specific heat of mineral oil is c0.4 to 0.5) if kept filled. That
should create a very local microclimate for whatever plant(s) clothe the
tank.
I would expect temperatures in the OP's part of the UK to fall to -10 a
few times in winter, thus risking browned leaves. If those don't fall,
at least they would result in more persistent cover than a deciduous
climber. Also, they would soon start new growth in spring, giving cover
at the most important times of the year when everything else in the
garden is growing well, too.
--
Jeff