Combining climbers
Hi,
A question on combining climbers on a single fence (about a 3.5-4m length, standard height). I have bought the gripple trellis system along with some wire anchors from Rivelin Glen, so will apply these to the fence and concrete posts. I will also add vertical supports with vine eyes and wire affixed to the batten parts of the fence (top middle and bottom)
So ...
Is it possible to combine a clematis growing horizontally (assume I select one with around 3.5-4m growth in height?), with maybe another clematis growing horizontally, in the opposite direction for full coverage?
Or, can a clematis grow horizontally along with two climbing roses growing vertically (one on each fence panel)?
I do prefer the idea of the rose + clematis, but not sure if that will work in this way?
Posts
I would think if you have a twining clematis, it'll grow happily through anything. Mine are growing through all sorts of other plants
I think it's more about how happy the roots are. Are you growing them in containers or in the ground?
It's quite common to plant clematis thru roses so yes, go ahead but make sure they have their own planting holes and plant them well. Both plants are greedy feeders.
Climbing and rambling roses also benefit from being trained horizontally or diagonally as this promotes flowering. If you choose group 3 clematis they will flower from July thru to the autumn frosts and can then be cut down to about 12"/30cms and all the top growth can be pulled out thus giving you a clear view of any pruning or training that the roses need over winter.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Hi Tanty,
They'd be in the ground. I would plant the roots in an area which is complete shade, and trained horizontally they'd be reaching into the sun the further they go. I guess either a shade lover or an any aspect clematis would do well for there?
Thanks Obelixx - Little Nell, or Etoile Violette is one I'd looked at, which is a group 3 - so this would be suitable for a David Austin climber? They'd all have their own plant holes yes - the roses in the middle at the base of eacnh fence panel, and the clematis at the very end of the run around which nothing else is planted.
The roses would be best planted bare root in November but when is best to get the clematis in?
Last edited: 31 July 2017 10:57:02
So rather than 2 roses Obelixx would you recommend one rose and one clematis, both growing horizontally and into opposite directions? Etoile Violette and 'Teasing Georgia' look like they could work, though that rose is 12ft so is too tall for growing upright.
No grow the clematis thru the rose. It will help support it and also look fab with that purple against the golden yellow. In my experience, Teasing Georgia lends itself more to diagonal stems than horizontal. Fabulous rose with lovely perfume and Etoile Violette is a very good, strong clematis.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
OK so grow the roses upwards / diagonally and the clematis horizontally through it ? Sounds like a plan.
whats the spread of the TG ? Would I need one per fence panel ? I'd have to prune it to keep it at 7/8 ft or so.
In my Belgian garden I had one a few years old that covered a 1.8m x 1.8m panel of trellis very nicely and bushed forward too. Don't get hung up on diagonal and horizontal. The trick is to bend the rose stems gently so they don't break and to get them off the vertical as this encourages more flowering spurs and shoots.
The clematis can then be encouraged along the stems and the support wires but you'll need to be regular and vigilant. Mine had a habit of taking off when I wasn't looking.
You can find the expected height and spread of roses on the supplier's website so David Austin for Teasing Georgia. Clematis are listed on this website that can be searched by name, colour, pruning group, flowering time and so on - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemlistsearch.cfm
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
That's great information obelixx thank you. For Teasing Georgia it says 12ft, but guessing that's maximum and if you found it happy on a standard fence that's great. I'll be getting an order in for a bare root to plant up in November. Is it worth waiting for then to get the clematis too or should I get that and plant up whenever? I think my local nursery had a couple the other day from memory so I should be able to pick one up whenever. That was about a metre high.