Advice on a climber

Hi,

I am a novice gardener and need some advice. I have a fence at the end of my garden with a trellice at the top and I want to grow something up it to screen the back of the garden.

Ideally, I am looking for a climber that is an evergreen, fast growing but easy to maintain. Does that exist?! The garden is east facing and the fence is at the end of the garden.

I have been told to get a Russian Vine, but I have read that they are really hard to keep under control. We have a Jingle Bells Clematis at the back which is still alive but it just doesn't seem to be growing at all so guess it doesn't like it there...

Any help appreciated.

 

Hello and welcome to the forum!

There are 4 that spring to mind

1) honeysuckle halls pacific/ halliania for a wet area
2) clematis armandi for a non windy area
3) ivy
4) pyracantha

Hope that helps
Tirednewdad

 

Weird , I was going to ask exactly the same question!! My gut instinct is Honeysuckle but I'm interested to see what the other guys suggest.

 

Hello and welcome.

Russian vine is lovely when its in full bloom and when its been very well looked after. However, it is anything but easy to maintain. Once established, expect to never go on your summer hols ever again. I am not exaggerating. You can give it a brutal hair cut, go away for a week, and when you come back its already choking your other plants and those of your immediate neighbours. They call it the 'mile a minute' plant, and once you've had to deal with an established one, you'll understand why.

I moved into a house that already had one in the garden. It literally destroyed the outhouse, finding every imperfection in the ageing brickwork and sending growth into it. It actually lifted the slate roof off. When I eventually killed the parent plant (after much learning over years) I left the severed twigs in place that had broke through the outhouse, figuring it would do more damage to try to get them out. Some of the 'twigs' were half an inch thick or more. It rained a couple of times. This was all the moisture those severed twigs needed, and they rooted and started to grow again. Russian vine is currently the only plant I've tried to eradicate from a garden and failed at miserably.

 

I would avoid Russian Vine; its great when in flower and attracts loads of insects BUT its a near impossibilty to keep under control once its in full growth, we have some coming over from a neighbours garden and I have to cut it back every week through the summer other wise my veg patch would be swamped!!

Look at Ivy, Honeysuckles (some are semi-evergreen), Clematis armandii, Akebia (chocolate vine). You could also consider a number of shrubs to grow against a fence, things like Chaenomeles, Garrya, Cotoneaster and Pyracantha..

Hope this helps

 

I wouldn't say Pyracantha is easy to maintain - it grows very fast when established and is a beast to prune and dispose of because of its vicious thorns.

 

Thank you so much for all your responses - that is really helpful.

I will definitely avoid the Russian Vine! Sounds like a nightmare!

I think I will go for an Ivy and Honeysuckle. Daft question again, but should I use bone meal to dig into the ground before planting them? I have read this is a must but does it really make a difference? Is there an alternative that is worth considering...

Thank you again!

 

i'd just like to say if any of you with a Russian Vine has pet rabbits, guinea pigs, birds ect, you may be interested to know its an excellent food for them.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner GPP2013. I'd just like to add, if you plant ivy and then change your mind it's difficult to get rid of or kill. Honeysuckle's a better idea.

Mix bonemeal into the soil you have dug out for the plant, then refill around the plant. Don't drop the bonemeal directly into the hole as it could burn the roots.

 

Thank you - this is all excellent advice! Much appreciated. Off to buy my plants and bonemeal!

 

How about a climbing or rambling rose to give colour in the summer and grow an evergreen clematis through it for screening in the winter. Clematis roots need shading so planting some ground cover plants just in front of it can help. I've found Clematis cirrhosa balearica to be quite good cover.