Growing to the Wall (groan)

Clematis cirrhosa balearice

Weave a spectacular tapestry of flowers and foliage with climbers and shrubs to transform a wall or an entire house.  Choose the right plant for the right place and leave it to work its magic on even the most unprepossessing aspect.

·        Climbers and wall shrubs are amongst the most rewarding plants you can grow. Given the right setting they will scramble up a wall, clamber over a fence or cheerfully camouflage an ugly fence or garden shed.  They will clothe trellis, pillars and pergolas with colour, yet take up very little ground space.

·        Some climbers, like honeysuckles and Russian vine, twine themselves around a frame; others, like ivy and Hydrangea petiolaris, cling to a wall using their aerial roots.  Sweet peas, the grape vine and clematis latch onto any support they can find with their tendrils, while roses use thorns to catch onto a surface.  Most wall shrubs are self-supporting and need little more than tying back for neatness.

·        On a sheltered, sunny wall the opportunities are endless.  Some ideas could be Clematis cirrhosa balearice with its glossy, elegantly cut, evergreen foliage, which bronzes attractively in winter, setting off its white flowers to perfection.  Wisteria sinensis is a good choice for early summer, while the climbing Solanum crispum and Solanum jasminoides (Alnum) flower for several months and often keep their dark glossy foliage through the winter.

·        For shady walls the choice is more limited, but no less beautiful.  Clematic Montana grows rapidly.  The pink forms ‘Rosea’ and the deeper ‘Tetrarose’ are commonly seen, but the ordinary species, which has white flowers and a delightful vanilla scent, shows up well in dark corners.

·        Companion climbing: beautiful as they are,, many climbers look even mbetter when grown with a partner. Deep red roses such as ‘Compassion’, ‘Climbing Etoile de Hollande’ and the single-flowered ‘Altissimo’ provide excellent support for Clematis vitacella, and also for purple- or lavender-flowered clematis such as ‘Ascotiensis’, ‘Perle d’Azur’ and the deep purpoe of ‘The President’.  The purple-leaved grape and the velvety Parthenocissus henryana add a sumptuous richness to the flowers of the ‘Jackmanii’ breeds.  Dark-leaved ivy makes a perfect background and sup0port for tall nasturtiums, and the fine-leaved myrtle goes well with the vivid orange of the Chilean ghlory vine (Eccremocarpus scaber).

Clematis vitacella (see 'companion climbing' above)

Planning for Climbers

·        The north facing wall gets little, if any, sun and is often I the path or prevailing cold winds.  But watering is seldom a difficulty since it is sun, rather than shade, that dries out most plants.  Climbers and wall shrubs to plant are ivy and Hydrangea petiolaris; morello cherry; Garrya elliptica; chaenomeles (Japanese quince); forsythia.  Some varieties of clematis can take these conditions, especially the rampant Clematis Montana.  The honeysuckle Lonicera x Americana grows well and so do many roses: ‘Gloire de Dijon’, Madame Alfred Carriere’ and ‘Climbing Etoile de Hollande’.  The flame flower, Tropaeolum speciosum, enjoys the cool, moist soil.

·        The east-facing wall: most of the plants which grow in a north-facing situation can be used here. Celastrus scandens will grow happily, as will Forsythia suspense and the evergreen Jasminum primulinum. Roses need not be ruled out, and ‘Caroline Testout’ with its double pink flowers and ‘Danse de Feu’ with orange-scarlet blooms can cope.

·        The south-facing wall: care must be taken to pick plants that can take strong sunshine and occasional bouts of drought.  Clematises are not happy here, since they need a cool root-run.  But you can take chances with myrtle (Myrtus communis), the blue-flowered ceanothus and Choisya ternate Camellias do well, so does the passion flower, Solanum crispum,  which is a climbing member of the potato family, and the magnolia.

·        The west-facing wall: this gives the most shelter to tender plants. Many south-facing candidates like camellias and magnolias do well, so do wisteria, the ‘Jackmanii’ clematis and Acinidia chinensis, the Chinese gooseberry.  Moroccan broom (Sytisus battandiers), is suitable, so is the species chaenomeles.  The choosy Prunus triloba, an attractive version of the ornamental almond with double pink flowers, thrives in this situation, as do many roses.

Myrtus communis (see 'south-facing wall' above)

Supporting Climbers

The least trouble and the least obtrusive support is wooden trellis, which blends well with fencing and may even improve its appearance.  It can also be set on top to give added height.

Fix trellis slightly away from the wall, nailed

 …. to be continued … when I can find the rest of the article (P43).