wrote in message
ups.com...
I have an east-facing wall at the end of my garden which is about five
metres wide and two metres tall. On top of it is a metal fence of a
sort of grill construction which is itself another two metres high.
Behind all that is a hideous block of flats resembling a gulag. The
plan is to grow some climbers to block the view through the fence. I'm
going to put some vine eyes and wires onto the wall and I think the
fence should be ideal to take climbers. The only question is what to
plant.

I'm reckoning on planting five climbers along the base of the wall. Is
it OK to mix and match? I was thinking of two plants of the same sort
of ivy (ideally fast-growing and variagated) to provide year-round
screening, unless you have any other suggestions for evergreens? Then
perhaps two climbing roses and a honeysuckle for a bit of interest.
What do you think?


Virginia Creeper will provide a fast, dense solution, with a spectacular red
colour in autumn, and is self-clinging. It is not evergreen though, and
leaves
dead twiggy bits on your wall in the autumn when it dies back. There are
roses
that are very vigorous (e.g. Kiftsgate and about 4 or 5 others, all with
cream
or white flowers ). They will take over your wall no problem, but they tend
to
flower once in about june and then are done, though some have red rose hips
for autumn interest. In fact there are some repeat flowering roses that will
easily reach 4 metres tall, and some roses can be virtually evergreen in a
mild
area, Kiftsgate has had that said about it. Repeat flowering climbers you
could
look at are Madame Alfred Carriere, climbing Etoile de Hollande, Climbing
Caroline Testout, etc. Not sure how roses get on with Virginia Creeper.

Variegated ivies, as has been mentioned, aren't all that quick. I've had a
couple
that have only covered a few inches per year. You could plant suitable
clematis
in with other stuff, to give you colour when other stuff has finished
flowering. Try
looking at the Viticella hybrids if you don't want the anguish of clematis
wilt
knocking your clematis back every other year.

Andy.