Need a plant to cover a metal fence

Hello,

Please see attached file,

The garden on the right is my new garden, I'm replanting the hedge, currently dogwood, with an English hedge pack and want some sort of climber to cover the metal (where mine currently has it covered) but dont sure what will do the job.

Ideally I want something that will quickly cover it (and if it spreads the hole length then even better) but I don't want something that's going to overtake the hedge and damage it. I really want a good thick coverage as the garden backs onto railway land.

The garden is south facing but the trees block out a lot of the light that end.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Ash

 

Good evening Ash and welcome to the site. I would suggest either Honeysuckle or Clematis Montana.

 

thanks, just been looking at some pics online and think I prefer the honeysuckle, can you recommend any particular variety?

 

If you want an evergreen form, then go for L.Henryi. If you prefer a highly scented one then go for L.periclymenum.

 

Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' worth considering as it is evergreen with yelow/white flowers, supposedly. Clematis montana alba is nicely scented but is deciduous and doesn't do much after spring flowering. You might consider a variegated ivy too, which will cover the fence and take dry conditions near tree roots. Honeysuckles are prone to mildew, especially if left to dry out.

 

Sorry - I meant evergreen, supposedly!

 

Hydrangea anomala petiolaris ... a bit slow to start off, but after a season it grows relatively fast

 

I've planted some plain old ordinary Elderberry trees next the huge metal jail fence that separates my garden from the catholic church next door. I'm not sure why they felt they needed 8ft steel bars between us and them. Were they trying to keep neighbours out or church goers in? Who knows.

Anyway, my elderberry trees went in as youngsters about a year ago. They've spent the past 12 months settling in, and I expect they'll start to grow quite rapidly this year once the spring time comes. I'm also going to chuck a buddleja or two, just because they grow at an insane rate, and I've built a living willow dome play house near the fence too. All these things will, after a couple of years, blur out the jail fence.

 

I would suggest a passiflora caerulea (hardy variety) love shade and it`s superfast growing , along with
virginia creeper (don`t need introduction)
Pink Jasmine (it`s more hardy then other species) fast grower.
clementis armandii. (the ever green clementis)
Tuscan jasmine (bigger version then the white).

 

Eccromocarpus scaber. Fast growing and flowers all summer - mine started 5/4/2011 and is still in bloom in places.

 

Thanks

Thanks guys,

sorry for the late reply, been looking through all your suggestions and think I will go for the 'Passiflora caerulea' as its looks amazing.

thanks again,

ash

 

good choice, but for 1/4 of the year, the fence will be bare as the Passiflora is not evergreen

 

To be fair, Passiflora caerulea should remain evergreen in an average winter (mine certainly does), although it grows best on a south facing wall. You will probably need a couple - the British grown ones are worth buying (usually found in the smaller independent GC's and nurseries) for better results.

 

it's hardy to -5 degrees C .... anything below that, and it looses it's leaves

I have planted a few in gardens .... the past 2 winters, they have lost all their leaves, but regrow in spring

saying that, the past 2 winters in the UK have been harsh, but normal winters in the UK normally go well below 5 degrees .... this year has been an exception (so far)

I find star jasmine a better creeper if you are wanting evergreen .... I have planted loads, and the past 2 winters, they have all kept their leaves, although some leaves have turned red

 

Personally, I'd go for a clematis montana rather than a passiflora. They look absolutely stunning when flowering but the foliage always looks lush and decorative even when not in flower, and they can be relied upon to give good coverage of a large space. The passifloras have individually stunning flowers but don't make such a good overall show and the foliage, although attractive, is never as neatly presented as a montana and can get straggly.
Granted, the clematis is just a mass of stems in winter but I'd prefer that to a straggly semi-evergreen.