I'm looking for a climber to grow on an arch round our front door. There was
a passion flower there, but this seems not to have survived the winter.
Trouble is, the front door faces North, gets almost no sun even when there
is any, and the situation is like a wind tunnel between two rows of houses.
What passes for soil round here is basically new forest sand. What would you
plant?

Steve

In article ,
shazzbat wrote:

I'm looking for a climber to grow on an arch round our front door. There was
a passion flower there, but this seems not to have survived the winter.
Trouble is, the front door faces North, gets almost no sun even when there
is any, and the situation is like a wind tunnel between two rows of houses.
What passes for soil round here is basically new forest sand. What would you
plant?

Would the roots be in the rain shadow? The answers yes, no and partly
all imply different plants.

Many of the clematis and honeysuckle would be perfectly happy, as
would Akebia quinata, provided that they are not wholly in the
rain shadow. A few of them could handle even that, if they can
get their roots beyond it.

A plant I grow that needs to be in the rain shadow, though pure
sand would help, is Passiflora incarnata (maypops, a herbaceous
passion flower). But getting a plant might be impossible - I had
to grow it from seed.

However, few of them will flower brilliantly with no sun, though
many will do so adequately if they get merely indirect light.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:30:39 +0100, nmm1 wrote:

In article ,
shazzbat wrote:

I'm looking for a climber to grow on an arch round our front door. There
was a passion flower there, but this seems not to have survived the
winter. Trouble is, the front door faces North, gets almost no sun even
when there is any, and the situation is like a wind tunnel between two
rows of houses. What passes for soil round here is basically new forest
sand. What would you plant?

How about that old standby, Hydrangea petiolaris? Good for shade, doesn't
mind wind, not fussy about soil. Slow to get started, but gets going
pretty well.



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

"Emery Davis" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:30:39 +0100, nmm1 wrote:

In article ,
shazzbat wrote:

I'm looking for a climber to grow on an arch round our front door. There
was a passion flower there, but this seems not to have survived the
winter. Trouble is, the front door faces North, gets almost no sun even
when there is any, and the situation is like a wind tunnel between two
rows of houses. What passes for soil round here is basically new forest
sand. What would you plant?

How about that old standby, Hydrangea petiolaris? Good for shade, doesn't
mind wind, not fussy about soil. Slow to get started, but gets going
pretty well.



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

Might be a struggle getting it going on Sandy soil, but not impossible. I
would go for Akebia, all are good.


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk