Quote:
Originally Posted by Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)
First of all let me introduce myself. I'm not a new gardener, but I'm
faced with tidying up after builders and doing hard landscaping and
the like after having a big extension built and largish patio area put
in.
In the middle of the patio, surrounded by two house walls and a fence
is a 1x2m bed. The whole of my garden, including this sheltered bed in
south facing, and because it's surrounded by brick and paving I assume
the bed will get warm.
At the "north-end" of this bed I want to put up a little bit of
trellis (1m wide and about 1m high) to add a little bit of height and
to hide an ugly little wall with pipe-work, sockets and a tap on it.
So we have a sheltered, south facing bed with a short bit of trellis
about 1m high and 1 m wide.
Now the question is... what can I grow up it for a splash of colour?
As I live in Derbyshire I would like a hardy perennial if possible.
All of the climbing plants I've looked at will grow too big. The
shorter varieties of clematis I've read about don't tend to climb but
seem to be sub-shrubs.
Now, my other question is whether I can grow something up the trellis
that would normally - if left to its own devices - grow much taller
than my 1m or so, but keep it pruned hard back. Will it thrive and
flower or will it struggle and die off? I'm a novice at pruning as you
will have guessed.
Am I limited to growing a bit of Ivy up it, or can I do better by
keeping a more colourful, interesting but vigorous climber cut right
back to within my trellis's limits?
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You could try Chaenomoles. I have one trained to grow up the side of a shed. Train it out on leaders sideways and cut off anything that grows forwards so it hugs the trellis. They come in many different colours and flower in late winter/early spring followed by edible (well jam making) fruit in late summer/autumn. Cut back after flowering.