I need a fast-growing climbing plant with plenty of foiliage; something
fairly cheap. I want to train ot onto some wires I will be stringing up.
The idea is to hide a nearby road from view while I'm sitting in my
favourite spot in the garden.

I'm about 200 yds from the sea, and on the Douth Coast of England. I'm not
an avid gardener, so low maintenance plants are preferred.

Can anyone offer any suggestions? We only have minor garden centres nearby
so please suggest something fairly common!

At first I was thinking Russian Vine, but then I remember how out of
control those things can get. Mind you, "the triffid" was great
conversation-piece!! ;-)

Al

Hi Al, Yes, Russian vine would be good, remember you can alwys cut things back but you cant add on ?? Also consider Lonicera jap. halliana (evergreen honeysuckle) and or Clematis montana both do well near the sea.
Lannerman

On 19/04/2011 21:44, AL_n wrote:
I need a fast-growing climbing plant with plenty of foiliage; something
fairly cheap. I want to train ot onto some wires I will be stringing up.
The idea is to hide a nearby road from view while I'm sitting in my
favourite spot in the garden.

I'm about 200 yds from the sea, and on the Douth Coast of England. I'm not
an avid gardener, so low maintenance plants are preferred.

Fast growing and low maintenance are almost always mutually exclusive.

You might get away with something like perrennial sweet pea if you don't
mind it being bare in mid-winter. Annuals like peas and beans are
another option for quick climbers.

Can anyone offer any suggestions? We only have minor garden centres nearby
so please suggest something fairly common!

At first I was thinking Russian Vine, but then I remember how out of
control those things can get. Mind you, "the triffid" was great
conversation-piece!! ;-)

Don't forget that if it grows tall very quickly then it will very
probably keep on going skywards way past the height that you want it and
that will entail significant annual maintenance.

Regards,
Martin Brown

On 20/04/2011 15:00, Sacha wrote:
On 2011-04-19 21:44:27 +0100, "AL_n" said:


I need a fast-growing climbing plant with plenty of foiliage; something
fairly cheap. I want to train ot onto some wires I will be stringing up.
The idea is to hide a nearby road from view while I'm sitting in my
favourite spot in the garden.

I'm about 200 yds from the sea, and on the Douth Coast of England. I'm
not
an avid gardener, so low maintenance plants are preferred.

Can anyone offer any suggestions? We only have minor garden centres
nearby
so please suggest something fairly common!

At first I was thinking Russian Vine, but then I remember how out of
control those things can get. Mind you, "the triffid" was great
conversation-piece!! ;-)

Al

Holboellias which are fast growing, evergreen, sweetly scented in early
spring and hardy. They won't do it all in one season, though! However,
once they get going, they're vigorous and will need to be chopped back
once a year in autumn to the level you require. I wouldn't touch Russian
Vine with a bargepole unless you're trying to cover a very very large
area that is otherwise totally barren and have no neighbours.

Yes, Holboellia sounds ok - I was going to suggest Trachelospermum. But
what is their resistance to salt spray like?

In fact, I would guess that salt spray could be a major problem with
many fast-growing evergreens that can be used further inland (eg some
Clematis, Lonicera, and even Passiflora caerulea). There is also a
possible problem with high winds ripping climbers off - even the best
would suffer in a south-westerly gale!

--

Jeff

Sacha wrote in :


We're not near the sea but our outdoor Holboellia gets plenty of cold
winds chucked at it and comes through it. It looked a bit battered
after last winter but still hung on in there.
But if the OP is in doubt about climbers making it through the wind or
salty air, he may prefer to grow a hedge of e.g. Griselinia which is
very salt tolerant or Elaeagnus ebbingei.

Unfortunatelky a hedge is not possible. I need the climber to cover a wire
grid extending 39 inches above a 5ft wall.

Southwesterly gales do haoppen here, but usually in winter. I don;t really
need the screened privacy in winter, so if it gets a bit blown away, it'll
be ok as long as it grows back in spring.

One side of it will face due South. The lower mortion of the plant will be
in the shade. Hope that won't cause a problem.

Thanks to the other respondees.

Al

"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
...
On 20/04/2011 15:00, Sacha wrote:
On 2011-04-19 21:44:27 +0100, "AL_n" said:


I need a fast-growing climbing plant with plenty of foiliage; something
fairly cheap. I want to train ot onto some wires I will be stringing up.
The idea is to hide a nearby road from view while I'm sitting in my
favourite spot in the garden.

I'm about 200 yds from the sea, and on the Douth Coast of England. I'm
not
an avid gardener, so low maintenance plants are preferred.

Can anyone offer any suggestions? We only have minor garden centres
nearby
so please suggest something fairly common!

At first I was thinking Russian Vine, but then I remember how out of
control those things can get. Mind you, "the triffid" was great
conversation-piece!! ;-)

Al

Holboellias which are fast growing, evergreen, sweetly scented in early
spring and hardy. They won't do it all in one season, though! However,
once they get going, they're vigorous and will need to be chopped back
once a year in autumn to the level you require. I wouldn't touch Russian
Vine with a bargepole unless you're trying to cover a very very large
area that is otherwise totally barren and have no neighbours.

Yes, Holboellia sounds ok - I was going to suggest Trachelospermum. But
what is their resistance to salt spray like?

In fact, I would guess that salt spray could be a major problem with many
fast-growing evergreens that can be used further inland (eg some Clematis,
Lonicera, and even Passiflora caerulea). There is also a possible problem
with high winds ripping climbers off - even the best would suffer in a
south-westerly gale!

--

Jeff

The ideal evergreen climber for windy coastal spots is Ercilla volubilis,
can be grown right to the waters edge, gets huge mind so eventual
maintenance required

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in news:91d7fmFtgvU1
@mid.individual.net:

Ercilla volubilis

Thanks for the suggestion. Both Ercilla volubilis and the Holboelia are
non-existent at my local garden centres. The attandant at my local one
suggested Honeysuckle (of which they have a selection). Would that do the
job?

Al

In article ,
Charlie Pridham wrote:

Ordinary Lonicera periclymenum and all its garden forms are good near the
coast but they are not evergreen, the evergreen sorts are OK provided
they don't get dry roots or suffer from too much still air (they can go
down with mildew) There are a number, these are the most often come
across
Lonicera henryi
Lonicera similis delavayi

and the commonest
Lonicera japonica which has a number of forms but is the worst for mildew

And is only evergreen in mild climates, like privet. Both drop their
leaves if there is a hard frost, and neither suffer much from doing
so.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
says...
"Charlie Pridham" wrote in news:91d7fmFtgvU1
@mid.individual.net:

Ercilla volubilis

Thanks for the suggestion. Both Ercilla volubilis and the Holboelia are
non-existent at my local garden centres. The attandant at my local one
suggested Honeysuckle (of which they have a selection). Would that do the
job?

Al

Ordinary Lonicera periclymenum and all its garden forms are good near the
coast but they are not evergreen, the evergreen sorts are OK provided
they don't get dry roots or suffer from too much still air (they can go
down with mildew) There are a number, these are the most often come
across
Lonicera henryi
Lonicera similis delavayi

and the commonest
Lonicera japonica which has a number of forms but is the worst for mildew
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea