In article ,
Saffy wrote:

"Pam Morris" wrote in message
...
Last weekend I added an arch to my garden and now it needs some nice
climbers. I would like, if possible, to avoid the usual suspects such as
clematis, honeysuckles & roses. I've nothing against them but would
rather
have something different.

After much page turning and web browsing I have come up with two
possibilities that I quite like the sound of - Actinidia Kolomikta
(splashed
paint plant) and Tropaeolum speciosum (flame nasturtium). According to
what
I've read they should both be okay in my chalk soil and the position they
would end up in (the arch faces east & west) Does anyone out there have
either of these plants and/or words of wisdom to share about them?

I have a Tropaeolum speciosum and mine certainly isn't big enough to cover
an arch. Maybe thats just mine though

What you have read is codswallop. I got caught by it, too, and was
told the reality by one of the people on this group. Tropaeolum
speciosum absolutely loathes soils that dry out, and hates hot roots;
I can't grow it at all.

I haven't grown the Actinida, but be warned that that genus must NOT
be pruned in spring and summer, and can get out of hand.

Plants that I can recommend for such a location include Campsis
(usually x taglibuana "Mme Galen") if the arch gets full sun at the
top. It makes you garden look positively Mediterranean for a couple
of weeks, and is pretty easy to care for.

And, of course, Akebia quinata (less exciting), Vitis coignetae (for
foliage, but with similar problems to the Actinida), and lots of
unusual Clematis and Lonicera. There are also lots of others for
relatively sheltered locations.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.