suggestion for pegola climber please

built the pergola last summer and bought some fave clematis and a hop plant which looked really nice in the summer. What I forgot though (duh!) was that the clematis I bought had to be hard pruned each year and the hop plant essentially dissapears each year to re grow so the plants are now only just beginning to grow again. What I would like would be some kind of climber that gives a framework- whether evergreen or not- so that in the winter months there is actually something there apart from bare wood.

I do have a c. armandii in the garden which is in flower at the moment and could plant one of those but if anyone has other suggestions I would be more than happy to hear them. The pergola itself tends to get the sun from mid day ish onwards if this helps.

 

Hi, how about a passion flower? they stay semi-evergreen in my garden and of course the flowers are lovely, and you don't have to prune it except when it gets too big. thats the common blue passion flower though.

 

How about a solanum? It isn't really a climber but it grows very tall and if you tie it in it will look ok. Has lots of purple flowers for a very long time. A little bit of pruning now and again to get rid of weak and straggly stems and it will love you.

 

Passion flowers aren't fully hardy, so you can't rely on them making it through the winter, although I have one doing well in Scotland...... it's been a mild winter though.

There are other evergreen clematis cultivars, one of which I use a lot, as it has lovely leaves, quite different from the armandii - it's

Early Sensation

And there are evergreen honeysuckles too

lonicera henryi is one of these

but there are a few on that site.

Good luck!

 

How about a climbing rose? if you choose a scented one - even better.

 

You could try Fuchsia Lady Boothby available from T & M. The only climbing fuchsia

 

thanks for all the suggestions! think I will go and have a look the weekend. I fancy a honeysuckle at the moment. I had a solanum but for some reason didnt think much of it but will maybe look again.

 

I have honeysuckle growing up a trellis. Also a verginia creaper both look good when in season.

 

I have an arch with golden hops and 3 clematis growing up too - and a Copper Beauty Honeysuckle that had stayed green all winter! Havent seen it in flower yet so am looking forward to that

 

That sounds lovely, Celia- looking forward to some photos!