Best climbing vine for roof terrace?

BA283

Hi

I am trying to find the best climbing vine for a roof terrace but getting a bit stuck.  Could someone help me with ideas?

I have an east facing wall that I would like to 'hide' by covering it with a really attractive climbing vine.  The wall is east-facing, about 2 metres wide and gets sunlight from dusk to dawn.

I spotted a few climbing vines I liked only to find out that they don't really suit being grown in pots/containers.

Any ideas?  Here is a pic of the wall if that helps. 

http://i68.tinypic.com/j97j9u.jpg

Also, is there a kind of trellis I can buy that is wide?  If so, does it have a particular name?

Sorry, a real novice here when it comes to climbing vines.

Thanks!

steephill

You don't really have much height there for a climber. As the name suggests most climbers will go to several metres or even 10's of metres high. Do you want something evergreen?

To get wide trellis just get a 2x1m section and turn it on its side.

Ceres

The danger of using a vine or climber is that it might just nip up the wall and disappear through the railings, leaving you with a bare stem and none of the beauty.

Perhaps you could try a couple of pyracanthas or similar in large pots. They are everygreen, and you will get flowers at this time of year, and berries in winter. They can be trimmed to height and you won't suffer from bare patches of wall.

Borderline

I agree with others, wall training a shrub may be a better option. Since you are growing in containers, I have found the following to be quite good in containers, provided you have a minimum of 50cm depth. 

Solanum Crispum 'Glasnevin' is semi-evergreen and very adaptable. Can be pruned and trained to grow taller and wider. Not troubled by high winds which can happen if you are exposed.

Coronilla Valentina Subsp. Glauca 'Citrina' is evergreen and also very free flowering especially throughout winter. Copes well with windy conditions.

BA283

Thanks for the suggestions here!  What I'm thinking is maybe getting two different types of climbing plants, get a trellis and turn it sideways and then have both plants grow through the trellis.

Is that a good idea?  And also, is it possible to find a trellis that is wide and can also be anchored onto two plant pots on either end (if that makes sense)?