Shared trellis

Fire

I have a 15 ft section of heavy duty trellis that I attached to a party fence (terrace). My neighbour and I are good friends and he is happy for me to grow climbers on the trellis. Over the past five years or so I have grown Montanta and flowering honeysuckles on it. The whole thing came down in the winter gales.

In fact, neither the clems nor the honeysuckle had proved very successful, for while they did give privacy to the gardens and give good flowers, they created a great mess too. The honeysuckle always has a mass of dead-looking twiggy bits sticking out - really very ugly - and the Montana grew so fast I'd have to prune it back every month on both sides of the fence. It looks awful in winter.

My neighbour is not really a gardener and I don't want to inflict any major upkeep on him (or me). I do want something that does give some kind of screen but is easy(er) to maintain. Climbing roses don't really screen much. Perhaps a calm, evergreen clem? Both are narrow gardens, so I don't really want to put more shrubs in and lose the space.

Any ideas of other climbers? Thanks

Nanny Beach

We have a Hall Prolific honysuckle its ever green, so looks good all the year, pretty,secented flowers and not messy looking, you do need to keep it in check, its not difficult.  I disagree climbing roses dont screen, I use rosa rugosa and dog roses for screening up a similar trellis to what you describe. but to be hontest, if you want something quick growing that will give you a screen, and privacy, you do have to put some work in.

Nollie

I don’t suppose there is such a thing as a well-behaved ivy? Would an evergreen Jasmine look neater than the honeysuckle? I know what you mean about the latter, mine, on a chain-link fence, is messy and sticky-outy (technical term) and I have to hack it back constantly.

Fire

Thanks

Topbird

If the conditions are right you could consider trachelospermum.
They are evergreen and will twine through a trellis. After a couple of years they will provide gentle, year round screening and beautifully scented flowers in the summer. They won't like it if the soil is too heavy, cold and wet in the winter and they prefer a warmer sheltered spot if possible.

That said - mine survived the Beast from the East last year in clay. (Survived mind you - didn't exactly thrive - but it's growing away again now).