Fast growing Clematis and Honeysuckle advice

Hello all,

I have decided to plant a Clematis and a Honeysuckle climber to cover an ugly fence and I need a lovely yet faster growing, vigorous variety of each! I think I will go with a Clematis Montana but now just need suggestions for a Honeysuckle variety! Any advice?

 

I think no matter what variety you choose, you'll be waiting at least 3 or 4 years for good coverage.

Why not choose some fast annual climbers to fill it in while the perennials are establishing. I personally think there is no plant better than nasturtium, but of course there's also sweet peas, various ornamental bean plants, and just all sorts.

 

Oh thank you everyone, I'll read up on the Clematis Armandii! I just can't wait years to cover this fence!! Besides nasturtium (which I regretted planting at my previous home), what other faster options are there to tide me over until the Clematis and honeysuckle fill in, and something I can plant straight away?

Is the nasturtium supposed to be an annual btw? I couldn't get rid of mine, it wanted to take over my entire garden every year!

 

It is an annual in the UK. In its native warmer climes of South America it is perennial but over here it usually can't survive winter. It does set a lot of seed though, but it's easy enough to spot if it's growing where you don't want it.

 

There sort of is and I hesitate to mention what I've resorted to this year

@Sandra-Tingle - please remember that *anything* fast growing also means it is going to take up more of your time in keeping it trim and tidy. Now I've got that bit out of the way ( ) I also needed a climber, or three, to cover an area of trellis where my patio is overlooked by a neighbour. I moved here two years ago and planted a honeysuckle, clematis and Virginia creeper. But, they have been slow to get started. I was going to get some of that bamboo on a roll stuff but I doubted the trellis would take the weigh, especially if hit with wind. My solution was to buy a couple of rolls of fake ivy netting from The Range knowing that, in time, that would be covered over by the plants. It doesn't look quite as naff as it sounds and, wouldn't you know it, the clematis and Virginia creeper have decided it is time to pick up growth after all

So, basically, if you wanted an instant cover, it might be something to consider and that will free you of needing a fast growing plant.

There you go Our Mandy: instant gardening

 

Another nicer looking fence,???? I'm afraid, Sarah, there ain't no such thing in gardening as instant gardening than lasts more than a season........unless you want to spend several hundred pounds on specialist plants already grown to maturity. Or you could plant fairly large and mature shrubs.......but again that's expensive. So the only other advice I can give is [a] get evergreen Honeysuckle as well as the evergreen Clematis. As a matter of interest how tall and long is the fence?[/QUOTE]

Would love to get rid of the fence, but unfortunately the neighbour put it up. We have a lovely old brick wall that the neighbour felt wasn't tall enough and added a two-foot wooden panel to the top of it. The brick wall is ours, but he put posts in the ground on his side and attached the panel there. Looks quite ugly!
The wall is about 5 meters wide and about 2 1/2 meters tall.

 

It must have really loved its location then - I just assumed it was a perennial because even though I tried to pull it all out it kept coming back with a vengeance!

 

Thought you might like to see for yourself (you may think it is totally naff )

 

Another idea, although a bit late for this year, a couple of vigorous herbaceous climbers are Dicentra scandens and Eccremocarpus scaber. These can be grown from seed and are relatively hardy, the Eccremocarpus was hardy most winters in Essex in the 80's. In mild winters they will keep their foliage, a stiff frost will cut them to the ground. For the first couple of uears a protective mulch will help survival.

 

Oh thank you so much for the picture! I think it looks pretty good!

 

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I must say "M" well done thinking outside the box! that is a really clever idea and looks great too!