Climbing across my fence
Hi there,
i'm hoping to a bit of advice. I have a of fence of c10m in length and 1.8m high and would like to run some climbers across them which flower nicely and give good green foliage throughout the winter...
Perhaps I should get 3 or 4 climbers across the 10m.. or would that be too many?
What types of climbers should I do some research on? I love roses and hydrangea... so could definitely incorporate those, but perhaps I could get 3 or 4 different climbers?...
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Evergreen clematis (Avalanche / Montana / Armandii) or Jasmine ?
It depends which way it faces, what kind of soil you have and where you are. I find evergreens can suffer in cold winters so it may be best to go with a mix of plants to give a broader seasonal interest.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Thanks for ur reply obelisk. I'm in east London and the fence gets the sun all afternoon. my garden is very hot south facing!
Im now thinking clemetis and roses...or maybe something else???
I'd stick with clematis and roses then pokhim. Pick the clematis carefully though as they need plenty of moisture, and some suffer in too sunny a site as the colours bleach very quickly. You can also use things like Pyracantha if you want some evergreen coverage. Thorny though, so it depends on what effect you want as well.
Hydrangea wouldn't do very well there. I don't think they look right on fences anyway, but that's just my view.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Clematis montana can be a thug and grow far too big for most people so I would suggest you consider a couple of better behaved alpinas or macropetalas for early spring flowers. You could also try clematis cirrhosa which is evergreen except in severe winters and flowers in winter. Use this academic site to search for different types and info about flowers, pruning etc. - http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemlistsearch.cfm
The thing with mixing clematis is to make sure they are all in the same pruning group or life can get complicated. The above mentioned are all group 1 - prune only after flowering and in order to keep to size. Use this academic site to search for different types and info about flowers, pruning etc.
Plant them several inches deeper than they were in the pot and give them a good soak first. The planting hole needs to be at least 18"/45cm away from the fence so the plants aren't in the rain shadow and also deep and wide. Back-fill with a good mix of your soil with added garden or bought compost and maybe a handful of pelleted chicken manure or blood, fish and bone mixed in. Water thoroughly and then mulch with more compost to retain moisture. Give occasional liquid tonics of liquid tomato food and, every spring, a generous dollop of clematis food.
As they grow, train the stems out horizontally along wires stretched across your fence at 12"/30cms intervals.
Training an evergreen ceanothus will give you flowers later on. I would also suggest pyracantha as they are good for wildlife with their blossom and berries and shelter.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Question.............Should a clematis that flowers in Winter but loses all its foliage in Summer be described as ' evergreen ' ? I am thinking of clematis napaulensis which looks dead in Summer then refurbishes late September.
My cirrhosa kept its leaves all year till hammered by à -25C which it didn't like at all. Exit one clem. Well, several actually and some other stuff too.
Last edited: 19 September 2016 16:14:51
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
The reason I ask is because of the offer in yesterdays paper, a full page Thompson & Morgan advert for clematis napaulensis.............' Evergreen, scented, clematis ' .............' sheds its leaves in Summer '
you have all been sooo much help.
I think, personally for me, I would like to have a repetition on one side of my garden with clematis, rose, clematis, rose... and so have decided to go for clemetis avalanche and a light pink rose called 'a shropshire lad' by David Austin... That said i've not bought it yet...and could change my mind by tomorrow!!