pcb wrote in message ...
I'm new to this group and to the UK. We've just had the garden enclosed
with trellising and wire so that our cats can go outside but not leave
the property (Unfortunately one of the cats was hit by a car and killed
instantly last month so we decided to do this). I'd like to plant some
climbers to soften the appearance of the garden and cover the wire.

We're located in the suburbs of London and the garden is pretty much
sheltered. Is it too late in the season to plant now? Should I just
wait until next spring? Any advice on what to plant? It can't be
anything too heavy so wisteria is out. I was thinking jasmine and
perhaps some variegated ivy.

You can plant a container-grown tree or climber at any time of the
year as long as you don't let it get dry. (Well, ok, not during a hard
frost.)

If you wait long enough some ivies will get nearly as big as some
wistarias, and carry a lot more leaf; but variegated forms are
slower-growing, and in any case they can be cut down ruthlessly if
they look like getting too heavy and will recover. Jasmines are good,
as are climbing hydrangeas. Grape vines (Riesling sylvaner and Black
Hamburgh are good in Britain; or an ornamental form such as "Brandt",
which has lovely autumn colour). There are several varieties of our
native honeysuckle, from red through to pale cream, deliciously
scented.

Climbing or rambling roses grow a mile a minute once established:
choose ones which repeat-flower and have a good scent -- it's worth
visiting a specialist nursery if the budget allows, so you can see
them in live action and get advice from somebody who probably knows
what he's talking about, unlike the people in ordinary garden-centres.
Or spend a lovely day or three at the Royal Horticultural Society's
gardens at Wisley, or Kew.

You can grow cordon or espalier fruit trees, too: maybe there's room
for a peach, a fig, and an apricot on your south-facing side. Apples
and pears grown that way are very productive. Under the trained fruit
trees you can have ordinary flower-borders.

Prepare the beds according to the book now, and you'll be able to
plant the fruit-trees this winter. Ornamental climbers can go in
between to fill the space above (but of course you don't want ivy
choking the fruit-trees.

Warning: If somebody suggests "Russian vine", *Polygonum
baldschuanicum*, think twice. It grows ten feet or more in a year, and
in the right place it's rather good; but an ordinary suburban garden
isn't really that place, and you end up with a shapeless mess for half
the year where you could have had something nice but a little slower.

If I'm not preaching too much (I know I do: sorry), remember that
putting plants in front of something can hide it better than putting
plants *on* it. So I wouldn't concentrate all my efforts on flattening
everything against the fences: sure, it's a heaven-sent opportunity to
grow beautiful climbers, but let's have things in front and lower down
too, and avoid too many right angles.

The cats will still get out, though, I'm afraid: they love climbing. I
love cats, so I hope yours like it so much at home that they don't
feel like wandering! I suppose they'll like it best if you provide
lots of interesting nooks and crannies, and mini-jungles for
mini-tigers. Maybe a few goldfish?...

Mike.