Covering pipework

marybibby

Hi, I am sure that someone out there will be able to help us!
We have had a new boiler fitted and it has resulted in horrid pipework on the front of our East facing stone cottage How can I disguise it? Anything that I plant will have to be in a pot rather than the ground. Don’t want ivy! Thank you!!!

Fairygirl

Some of the early clematis [not a montana though!] will be fine in a pot in that location @marybibby , but you'll need a good support for it. You'll also need to be careful of the pipes themselves, in case of access etc.
Depending on the height, you could opt for a shrub instead. 

If you have a photo of the site, that will help too. The icon that looks like a hill is the one for loading photos. Keep them smaller if you can so that they load easily   

marybibby

Thank you @Fairygirl. Do you have any examples of an early clematis?

Fairygirl

I grow alpinas and macropetalas. I can't keep koreanas alive - too wet, so it will depend on where you are, although in a pot against a house will be drier. Those early types prefer a drier site anyway. Mine are in raised beds with lots of other planting to counteract the wet 
If you have a look on the specialist sites - Taylors, Thorncroft and Hawthornes, you'll see plenty of choices. 
This is my favourite - C. macro. Lemon Dream

Nollie

How about a good-sized square or rectangular planter with integral trellis fixed on the back? You could even put it on one of those wheeled platforms for ease of access to the pipework if that’s needed in future. Depends on the size of area you need to cover, but with a decent-sized planter and good depth - ideally 45-50cm - it might be possible to plant both a patio clematis and a small climbing rose in there, so they twine together and give you a longer display. For the rose something like Strawberry Hill would be suitably cottagey or for a brighter pop of colour, maybe Warm Welcome?

Fairygirl

You can also add another container nearby and have some annuals in it for summer colour. 
As @Nollie says - the container needs to be substantial. A small 30cm pot won't do the job at all. 
Many of the Group 2 clems can be grown in containers, but bear in mind that any plant staying in a container long term needs a lot more care and attention than in the ground, especially if the house is preventing rain getting in, which is often the case. Plants near house walls are usually much drier, because of the eaves etc, and especially as your site is east facing. 

Nollie

Yes it would need plenty of watering and feeding, so all good points @Fairygirl.

If you don’t have much time for gardening, there may be a suitable non-plant disguise - something like a decorative panel attached to a wooden framework fixed to the wall around the pipework. I’m thinking of those pierced metal screens or with an etched sundial on, but depends on what suits your house and style.

marybibby

Thank you so much for the advice - I’m so grateful that you have taken the time to reply! I have already been on some nursery websites to get some ideas and loving the idea of both a rose and a clematis!

Fairygirl

Just ensure that if you plant more than one climber in a container that they like the same conditions. 
Those smaller, early clems I mentioned like poorer, drier conditions than the bigger ones, for example. 

Nollie

For both a rose and clematis I would look for a good wide, deep planter, maybe minimum 90cm wide so they each have decent space for the roots. Make sure you use a high proportion of a loam-based planting medium like JI no.3 with a bit of garden soil and manure mixed in - you need a soil with plenty of oomph rather than just compost plus a decent feeding regime. You also want well-behaved and not too vigorous varieties whatever your choose!