In article ,
Sacha writes:
| On 15/10/07 16:06, in article ,
| " wrote:
|
| I'd appreciate advice on choosing a climber; the requirements a
| 1) Evergreen
| 2) Self-supporting
| 3) North wall - only late afternoon and evening sun - I am in Devon but
| not on the moor
|
| Hydrangea seemannii or petiolaris but make sure they're watered and plant
| them - or anything else - 2' out from the rain shadow of your house so that
| rain can fall on them. As you plant them, lean them in towards the wall you
| want them to climb. Both take a while to get going and then suddenly leap
| away. Various ivies. Pileostegia viburnoides. Ercilla volubilis. If it
| doesn't *have* to be self-clinging, your range will extend tremendously.
| Presumably you never need to paint or point the walls?

Isn't Hydrangea petiolaris deciduous? It is here.

The range would also be increased enormously by dropping the
evergreen; dropping both the evergreen and the self-supporting
would give a huge range!

My experience with climbers is that the 2' isn't necessary if there
is a clear run of deep soil from the wall out, but you have to keep
them watered long enough for them to get their roots established
where there is water. And, of course, it depends on the overhang
and wind direction whether the rain reaches the wall in the first
place. I have a lot of things within 6" from the walls, but they
mostly get rain to their roots - and, of course, 60% sand is a soil
that positively encourages roots to run.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.