GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Advice required

31-05-2006, 08:24 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

wrote:
Hope somebody can offer advice on which climber I should choose.

I have a small bed at the base of the north-east corner of my house.
The area gets the sun from 4pm in the summertime but no real sunlight
in winter. A previous climber (unknown variety) there has died probably
because the local cats dig it up and use it as a toilet.

I'm looking for suggestions. Something quite vigourous, flowering,
perhaps evergreen, which is hard to kill but won't knock the house
down.

Current candidates Clematis Montana, Honeysuckle

For my money in that sort of northerly position Hydrangea Petolaris
would be hard to beat and it is self attaching without being too
damaging to walls. It may not be vigorous enough in the early years for
your taste but it does grow very well on north facing walls.

Big clematis can be a bit of a brute and need a lot of maintainence it
may not like a northely position and refuse to flower. Honeysuckle also
prefers more sun.

Regards,
Martin Brown