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Paving slabs right up to walls?

lardpraolardprao Posts: 12
in Garden design
Could anybody help with a garden in which very large. Paving slabs are all round the house right up to the sterile walls. The walls are very bare and I’d like to plant some climbers especially Clematis Amethyst Beauty but can’t see how to that without digging up the slabs? Is there anything that would grow well in a container? Thank you
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  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,177
    All kinds of climbers grow well in containers, provided they are in good compost, with good drainage, and regularly fed and watered.  But the bigger you want it to grow, the bigger the container needs to be.  They will always do better in the ground.
  • lardpraolardprao Posts: 12
    Thank you very much for deciphering sterile walls!! and advice. Would  it be OK to repot as it grows?
  • CeresCeres Posts: 1,823
    If you are growing a climber up a wall you don't really want to be repotting it at regular intervals as that could prove tricky what with all the stems and foliage growing vertically. It's best to start off with a decent sized container and feed the plant properly. The pot will need to be raised off the ground slightly to avoid waterlogging which will finish off a plant.
  • lardpraolardprao Posts: 12
    Thank you so much!
  • WillDBWillDB Posts: 2,496
    edited August 2019
    Digging up a few slabs would take a bit of effort but pay off in the long run!
  • CeresCeres Posts: 1,823
    I'd agree with that. The plants will get a decent root run and should be a lot healthier.
  • lardpraolardprao Posts: 12
    But you can’t take up the slabs and plant right next to the wall..can you? Damp course ?? Just walking round my local area trying to get ideas as I am in no way a gardener and can’t see any plants right next to house?

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 6,347
    You would need to plant them away from the wall because of what is called the "rain shadow", also because of the footings etc.
    There's more advice here
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=921
  • lardpraolardprao Posts: 12
    Thank you, Anni. 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Billericay, EssexPosts: 5,699
    I took up a couple of paving slabs just outside my lounge and planted a cotoneaster horizontalis.
    I had no problems over the 20ish years it was there but I did keep it to about 1m high and 2m wide - just below the window and I could watch the blackbirds taking the berries in the winter months
    My paving slabs were 150mm below the damp course which is typical for most modernish houses I think.
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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