In message , BoyPete
writes
Chris wrote:
Hello all,

I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to plants/gardening hence any
advice appreciated.

Can any 1 out there in cyberspace recommend an evergreen, fast
growing, hardy climber. Flowers would be nice aswell - if such a
plant actually exists.

Ta

I recently bought a Pyracantha 'Golden Charmer' (Don't know the Latin),
which, according to the label, would suit Chris's request.
Comments?

He's clarified his request with "no thorns", which would exclude
Pyracantha. (BTW, Pyracantha can be trained against a wall, but I don't
think that any variety qualifies as a climber. BTW2, Pyracantha 'Golden
Charmer' is the Latin; the English, when not using Pyracantha, is
Firethorn.)
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

In article ,
"Chris" writes:
|
| Thanks Nick - and to everyone else who replied. Interesting reading for a
| novice like myself.
|
| Hedera helix it is.

You could actually grow both H. helix and Lonicera periclymenum.
Both are as tough as old boots and neither will get strangled by
the other. It's entirely dependent on the effect you want.

Be warned about ivies (including H. helix). The grow in creeper
mode only when vaguely attached to something like a tree trunk.
Once they start flopping free, they turn into "bush ivy" mode
and flower. Campsis is also a bit like that.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message , BoyPete
writes
Chris wrote:
snipped

I recently bought a Pyracantha 'Golden Charmer' (Don't know the
Latin), which, according to the label, would suit Chris's request.
Comments?

He's clarified his request with "no thorns", which would exclude
Pyracantha.

Sorry, I didn't see that in his original post, missed it elsewhere.

(BTW, Pyracantha can be trained against a wall, but I
don't think that any variety qualifies as a climber.

Oops.......really mustn't buy from B & Q!
I'll teach it

BTW2, Pyracantha
'Golden Charmer' is the Latin; the English, when not using
Pyracantha, is Firethorn.)

Oh, right.........I guess it's 'English' Latin. Ta
--
ßôyþëtë
London, UK

In article ,
Stewart Robert Hinsley writes:
|
| He's clarified his request with "no thorns", which would exclude
| Pyracantha. (BTW, Pyracantha can be trained against a wall, but I don't
| think that any variety qualifies as a climber. BTW2, Pyracantha 'Golden
| Charmer' is the Latin; the English, when not using Pyracantha, is
| Firethorn.)

I don't think "Golden Charmer" is Latin, even though I got the lowest
pass mark in my Latin O level in the history of the school :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 1/5/07 18:44, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
"Chris" writes:
| A bit more info.
|
| I have just bought a garden arch which I would like the climber to cover
-so
| people will be walking through it to get to the back garden (climbing roses
| would not be a good idea due to thorns)
|
| I am in North Wales - the arch will be exposed to direct sunlight for most
| of the day. I live on the side of a hill, so sometimes there is a gale
| howling around the bungalow - so cant be anything too delicate.
|
| Does this narrow it down?

Yes. If you insist on evergreen, that means ivy. I doubt that any
of the other ones that are evergreen even with you would tolerate
a gale. And, by ivy, I mean Hedera helix.

Several of the honeysuckles will have no problem - Lonicera periclymenum
is native to the uplands of Britain, and has several cultivated
varieties.

Several of the clematis would almost certainly be happy, too (NOT
C. armandii, the evergreen one), but I don't know how well the other
good climbers (wisteria etc.) take wind.

Bit of lateral thinking, which is not my strong point - I wonder if Chris
could train eucalyptus to cover that arch. I really don't know. But one of
the best eucalyptus nurseries is in Wales so might be worth having a word
with them. It would certainly be unusual and rather beautiful, I'd think.
The precise variety chosen would be very important.
http://www.eucalyptus.co.uk/homepage.asp

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)
Devon County Show 17-19 May
http://www.devoncountyshow.co.uk/

In article , BoyPete
writes
Bob Hobden wrote:
"Chris" wrote...

snip

There is also a Clematis whose name escapes me.

Something 'Honey' ?? I've been trying to find it.


Armandii

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 2 May, 00:22, Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , BoyPete
writes

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Chris" wrote...

snip

There is also a Clematis whose name escapes me.

Something 'Honey' ?? I've been trying to find it.

Armandii

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraphhttp://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

There are several Cotoneasters that would do the job well.
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

People generally don't train eucalyptus, except to persuade one looking like it wants to be multi-stemmed to become a standard. Many of them have a tendency to have long bare lower trunks, even when multistemmed. You can pollard or coppice them, but just shortening the leader usually doesn't work to make them bushy. Though I observe some people have successfully bonsaied them. For some species, if you bend the eucalyptus trunk over horizontally, (and they are often very bendy) you will get a "hedge" growing up from it. So whilst it might be amusing to try training it over an arch, I think you should experiment yourself before recommending it to someone else.

There is E. pulverulenta, which sometimes grows into all sorts of unbelievably weird forms, but in general it does just what it feels like, not what you wanted it to, and it doesn't "fill out".

I agree, it is difficult to find evergreen climbers for use outside mild areas if you don't like ivy. I haven't really succeeded either in the Chilterns. My akebia lost its leaves, and my trachelospermum is not establishing well (the neighbour has a long established trachelospermun, of different type, and it refuses to flower.) I'm trying B. corallina again, but that is only suitable for a shady place. A wet lowish mild part of N Wales, would be excellent for B corallina btw, and all those other Chileans and NZs. The alternative for clothing an arch in green year round is to sculpt an evergreen plant, like yew or holly or something, which I think is what Sacha was trying to do with eucalyptus, which would have the advantage of being faster growing.