Evergreen cliber for a planter

baruteksan

Dear gardeners!

 

I'm not a regular on this forum, but was hoping to get your assistance.  I have a trellis on the East-facing wall and I would like to cover it with an evergreen flowering climber.  As the garden is paved, I would like to grow the climber in a (big) planter - I have a 180l planter in mind (c. 0.8m long / 0.6m wide / 0.39m Deep).  I live in London.

 

Question one - can you please give any recommendations for the climber? To summarise, the requirements are:

- Evergreen;

- Flowering (preferably during spring/summer);

- Relatively fast-growing and capable of covering a 1m x 2m trellis;

- Suitable to grow on east-facing wall in partial shade (the garden is pretty sheltered);

- Suitable to be grown in a planter (i.e. does not need to be planted into the ground itself). 

 

Question two – how big will the planter need to be?  Is the 180l one I mentioned big enough? 

 

Many thanks in advance!

Last edited: 01 November 2016 13:15:52

Ladybird4

I think that Hydrangea seemannii might be a good choice or Trachelospermum jasminoides. That planter might be OK for a short while but not for ever.

baruteksan

Thanks, Ladybird.  Could you pleas expand on the last part?  What do you have in mind when you say "short while" and what happens if I keep it in the planter after that "short while"?  There is no option for me to plant it into the ground later (as the ground is paved and there is drainage directly below the trellis), so it must stay in the planter all the way through.

I was also thinking of Clematis cirrhosa var. purpurascens 'Freckles' - could that work?

Dovefromabove

Clematis 'Freckles' is a winter flowering clematis, so not what you're looking for.  It also grows quite large and in my experience is quite a thirsty plant, suffering quite badly if it gets dry at the roots, so I don't think it would do well in a container, even a large one.  

Clematis 'Avalanche' is sold as being suitable for containers and might be suitable, if the location is not too sunny http://www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/clematis-avalanche.html 

Loana

Try looking at taylors clematis, on their website you can specify flowering times, evergreen or not, height at maturity etc and narrow your search thatvway? I have jasmine in a planter going up wall, same with armandii , also have avalanche but that is in gound, if i can find pick of my planters, i'll post it for you, my planters are small but the climbers have done great this year in them, i agree with another post that planters may not be ideal, long term....

Loana

These are the planters,planted in june, all. 3 climbers are doing well, the armandii nearly to the top of trellis ( far right ) it was just a horrid bare breeze block wall, which i painted and put the trellis up  

Dovefromabove

 Very smart - but I imagine that climbers of any size in those will require a lot of attention to keep them happy. 

Last edited: 03 November 2016 09:08:25

Dovefromabove

I agree Tetley - not one of the rampant ones, but there are several less vigorous types that, with a modicum of attention won't take over 

Loxley

Trachelospermum jasminoides would be perfect. As for the planter size, the bigger the better and use a soil based compost.