Climber for south facing wall

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone can suggest a climber for the side of my neighbours house? My neighbours house is set back approx 10ft past my house so it is the side of her house that makes up the side of my patio. It isn't very pretty to look at whilst enjoying an evening in the sun so i'd like to grow something up the wall. I wouls like something with scented flowers and something with a reasonable flowering period that won't look dull the rest of the time - is there anything that would fit the bill? Also, the quicker growing the better!!

Also, what is best for a climber - a trelis or wire secured with screws?

My other querstion is that at the base of the neighbours wall, there is a small wall that we tend to sit on. This little wall runs along side the neighbours wall but ends about 1-2ft short of the neighbours house (this is where my borders will start). Can i plant my climber at the end of this little wall and then train the entire plant over to the left so that it covers the side of my neighbours house? Is it possible to train the entire climber over to one side or would that not work?

 

check with your neighbour before you drill into their wall.

Your choice is enormous. Immediately to mind are wisterias and roses

 

A climbing rose would be lovely but bear in mind that a thorny one won't make sitting near the wall very comfortable! However, one old variety, Zephirine Drouhin, is thornless and repeat flowering, so you would also have flowers over a long period. It is a bright cerise pink and has a wonderful scent (I really think you should go for something with a perfume). 'Has bean counter's' other choice, wisteria, would be wonderful but the flowering period is short - May/June before the leaves are fully developed. On the other hand, wisteria has pretty leaves and a lovely twining form.

I have the common jasmine (Jasminium officinale) growing on my south-facing wall. It is as tough as old boots (it's growing in a very narrow, dry border at the foot of the wall where nothing much else will thrive), very vigorous, flowers from June to October - masses of small white flowers - and has a fantastic evening perfume. However it is very vigorous once established so you would have to be prepared to give it a good haircut every so often. And it would need to be trained over strong supports - it would make mincemeat of those flimsy little matchwood trellises you sometimes see in garden centres.

I think you could easily train a jasmine over to one side, by the way. They put out very long, bendy shoots.

 

Thnak you for the advice! The thornless rose sounds good or the jasmine. I like the idea of a rose but the jasmine having bendy shoots is good for training over to one side. I assume that either of these climbers would not damage the neighbours brickwork?

 

you are corect about the damage. How will you put up the trellis?

 

well this is what ive just been looking into. At the moment there are 3 hanging basket brackets attached the the nieghbours wall (they were already there when we moved in because my neighbours mother used to live in my house, so i guess the neighbour didnt mind her drilling into the wall! However, the neighbours house is in fact rented so i guess its not up to my neighbour to decide whether or not i can drill into the wall, but the house owner?!) So what do i do??!!

I need to do SOMETHING with the wall as its ugly to look at but i dont want to cause problems with the neighbour (we get on fine with the tentant). I would like to get rid of the hanging basket brackets as they are a little rusty and i'd rather have something that will hide the wall all year rounf rather than just in the summer - any ideas??

 

Contact the house owner and ask - explain what you want to do, pointing out the brackets that are there already (and the lack of damage they have caused).

 

Yes, both the rose and the jasmine are going to need strong supports to which you can tie in shoots since neither is self-clinging. Ivy IS, although many people think that the aerial roots by which it clings on damage mortar. Some of the variegated ivies are quite pretty - and they have the advantage of being evergreen. It might save you the problem of breaking the news to your neighbour!

 

I was just thinking about that claralou! I thought that if we remove the brackets (maybe when tenant is out! just to save potential problems!) and then grow a self-clinging climber. Not sure i fancy an ivy though - anything else, maybe something that flowers AND is evergreen?

 

Hmmm. Can't think of anything. You could try a climbing hydrangea (H. petiolaris). It's not evergreen but it IS self-clinging and it does flower, although the flowers are not as spectacular as the bush hydrangeas. It is quite tough and is often planted on shady walls because it can cope with the lack of sunlight. Hydrangeas like moist conditions - so if you go for this one, be prepared to give it a good watering while it is getting itself established. You can buy this plant at most good garden centres, or online from any number of suppliers.