On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 21:46:02 +0100, "Briton"
(no need for Mail) wrote:

Hi all. I'm new to the newsgroup and to gardening. Could someone give me a
bit of advice on what plants to use for a trellis screen? The trellis will
be 1.8 x 1.8 metre but in an area that is sometimes exposed to high winds. I
am using fairly heavy duty panels for that reason but don't know what plants
will be suitable. Although sometimes windy it is a sunny aspect. I live in
Cornwall.

A very old Treseders catalogue that I treasure lists the following as
climbers suitable for coastal exposu

Actinidia chinensis (Chinese gooseberry or Kiwi fruit)
Akebia quinata
Clematis cirrhosa balearica
Hedera helix varieties (Ivy)
Jasminum nudiflorum
Lonicera giraldii (honeysuckle)
L.japonica varieties
L.periclymenum varieties
L.similis delavayi
Muehlenbeckia complexa
Parthenocissus tricuspidata
P. quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Polygonum baldschuanicum (Russian vine; Mile-a-minute!)
Vitis coignettiae
V.vinifera varieties
Wistaria sinensis

I'll leave it to you to sort out which would be best for your
situation, but some of them are 'clingers', ideal for walls but not
really suitable for a trellice (you want twiners, or else tie them in
by hand). Others are too vigorous (I wouldn't touch polygonum with a
barge pole, and muehlenbeckia goes up at least 70ft on Tresco!). Many
are not evergreen. I think I'd go for a honeysuckle.

Burncoose nurseries near Redruth is a good place to ask for advice.
See also www.burncoose.co.uk for a catalogue.

A 1.8 metre high trellice exposed to high winds will require
substantial posts, set deep in the ground (rule of thumb for fencing:
half as deep as the panel is high), or well propped.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net