Looking for a pretty climber - suggestions?
 

Many thanks to everyone who helped with my buddleia pruning question -
now onto my second gardening issue!

Our garage takes up a large part of our back garden, with the rear
wall facing the house. I'd like to grow something that will cover that
rear wall and, ideally, spread around the corner and down the long
wall as well, covering up as much of the brickwork as possible.

Any suggestions? Ivy seems to be the obvious answer, but I'd prefer
something a little less cliched, and with some nice flowers to boot.
Roses are out, as we want to keep the garden as thorn-free as possible
(no kids yet, but maybe next year!)

It would also help if it was very vigorous and tolerant of ham-fisted
beginners like me! =;-)

Looking for a pretty climber - suggestions?
 

In article , GR
writes
Many thanks to everyone who helped with my buddleia pruning question -
now onto my second gardening issue!

Our garage takes up a large part of our back garden, with the rear
wall facing the house. I'd like to grow something that will cover that
rear wall and, ideally, spread around the corner and down the long
wall as well, covering up as much of the brickwork as possible.

Any suggestions? Ivy seems to be the obvious answer, but I'd prefer
something a little less cliched, and with some nice flowers to boot.
Roses are out, as we want to keep the garden as thorn-free as possible
(no kids yet, but maybe next year!)

It would also help if it was very vigorous and tolerant of ham-fisted
beginners like me! =;-)

How about a Virginia creeper?
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Looking for a pretty climber - suggestions?
 

The message
from GR contains these words:

Many thanks to everyone who helped with my buddleia pruning question -
now onto my second gardening issue!

Our garage takes up a large part of our back garden, with the rear
wall facing the house. I'd like to grow something that will cover that
rear wall and, ideally, spread around the corner and down the long
wall as well, covering up as much of the brickwork as possible.

Any suggestions? Ivy seems to be the obvious answer, but I'd prefer
something a little less cliched, and with some nice flowers to boot.
Roses are out, as we want to keep the garden as thorn-free as possible
(no kids yet, but maybe next year!)

It would also help if it was very vigorous and tolerant of ham-fisted
beginners like me! =;-)

A lot would depend on which direction each of your walls faces. The
advantage of ivy is that it's evergreen and there are lots of different
sized leaves, types of variegations and degrees of vigour.

I'd be thinking in terms of a mixture of things: some evergreen and
definitely including some clematis. But some further info about
direction and conditions would help.

The climbing hydrangea is slow to get going but excellent once established

Janet G

Looking for a pretty climber - suggestions?
 

"GR" wrote in message
...
Roses are out, as we want to keep the garden as thorn-free as possible
(no kids yet, but maybe next year!)

I can't remember the variety but I bought my in-laws a thornless, white
climbing rose a couple of years back.

Martin

Looking for a pretty climber - suggestions?
 

In article ,
Janet Galpin and Oliver Patterson wrote:
The message
from GR contains these words:

Our garage takes up a large part of our back garden, with the rear
wall facing the house. I'd like to grow something that will cover that
rear wall and, ideally, spread around the corner and down the long
wall as well, covering up as much of the brickwork as possible.

A lot would depend on which direction each of your walls faces. The
advantage of ivy is that it's evergreen and there are lots of different
sized leaves, types of variegations and degrees of vigour.

I'd be thinking in terms of a mixture of things: some evergreen and
definitely including some clematis. But some further info about
direction and conditions would help.

Definitely. Direction, root run, soil, height and width of garage
and whether you are happy to attach wall-eyes and wire. And how cold
it gets in winter!

There are dozens of excellent flowering climbers for any situation
which has at least good light, but most are twiners and tendril
climbers. Only a few self-attachers flower well in the UK.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

Looking for a pretty climber - suggestions?
 

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
"GR" wrote in message
...
Roses are out, as we want to keep the garden as thorn-free as possible
(no kids yet, but maybe next year!)

I can't remember the variety but I bought my in-laws a thornless, white
climbing rose a couple of years back.

Martin

Zephirine Drouhin is thornless too and tolerates north-facing sites.
Anne

Looking for a pretty climber - suggestions?
 

A lot would depend on which direction each of your walls faces

The short rear wall of the garage faces approximately east, and the
long side wall approximately south. I'm in Upminster, Essex, so I
guess climatic conditions are what you'd call fairly average?

Haven't actually tested my soil yet, so can't tell you anything about
it! It grows very good hydrangeas though, if that's any kind of
indication of anything - we've got two large bushes in the back garden
that were planted by the previous owner (and which we want to get rid
of when we finally attack the garden in earnest this year - hydrangeas
don't really do anything for us).

Gareth