In a Midsummer Night’s dream, Oberon (King of the fairies) describes a magical place, covered in climbing plants.
“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.”
So it is that climbing plants have the wonderful ability to transform bare fences and walls into a magical space where you can escape to enjoy your garden.
There are many fabulous climbers to suit sun and shade and that will give you colour at different times of the year to create colour and interest through the seasons.
Trachelospermum
Or Star Jasmine as it is sometimes known, is a self-twining and glossy evergreen shrub which is ideal for wall cover, trellis or even low hedging. This star of a climber will thrive in well-drained soil in either full sun or partial shade, which makes it a versatile option for most gardens. It can grow up to 8m over 5-10 years, so make sure you prune it early each spring to give the plant enough time to start new growth and set flower buds for summer blooming. Its dark green leaves turn a stunning bronze colour in the winter and from mid-late summer it produces fragrant flowers to light up your garden. Traditionally this climber has starry white flowers, however there are also yellow, and a lovely pink variety called ‘Pink Showers’ which I have in my own garden.
Jasmine Nudiflorum - 'Winter Jasmine'
This hardy climber will brighten up the dullest of winter days with long arching branches of bright yellow flowers in winter and spring. It grows well in any aspect but prefers to be sheltered from wind so avoid any area that is too exposed and make sure the soil is well drained. If you are growing against a wall or fence, it is advisable to train the stems up trellis or wires and prune regularly to avoid any gaps appearing in the plant as this type of Jasmine doesn’t naturally twine. Alternatively, you can grow this winter warmer above a low wall so it can spill over or in a pot where it will trail over the edges.
Clematis
The good news with Clematis is there are early varieties which flower in the late winter-early spring and later flowering varieties which give you colour over the summer. All Clematis prefer fertile and well-drained soil, and it is important to plant the crown at soil level (plant to the level of the container they come in). Another consideration is that Clematis like ‘their feet in the shade’ as my granny used to say, so try to position other plants near the base of the Clematis to provide some shelter from the sun or if planting in a container, dress with pale stones or gravel to reflect the sun.
For an early flowering variety, you can’t beat Clematis cirrhosa ‘Jingle Bells’ which as the name suggests will flower in winter and early spring. This is a vigorous climber which produces lovely creamy white flowers, hanging in a bell shape and these flowers develop into silky seedheads for even more interest.
Clematis alpina ‘Constance’ is another climber which flowers in spring through to April/May. This is one I have in my garden as its gorgeous semi-double pink flowers really brighten up my fence. With these earlier flowering varieties, it is recommended that you cut back after flowering to encourage branching higher up the plant – cut back to 100cm in the first couple of years and then trim to the confines of your available space after that. You should also cut out any dead or weak stems at this stage.
There are lots of summer flowering Clematis out there in a huge range of colours but this year I have gone for Clematis ‘Ooh La La’ which is easy to grow and compact, growing to 120cm. What made it stand out for me were the amazing flowers which are about 12cm across and have a darker pink strip in the centre which really makes them pop against the trellis. This beauty flowers from late spring to late summer and sometimes into the autumn if the weather is kind. Simply reduce all the stems to 15cm in the late winter/early spring and make sure you mulch round the roots to keep the sun off and you are set for stunning summers colour for years to come.
Lonicera - Honeysuckle
Commonly found in woodlands and hedgerows, this abundant climbing shrub has thin, flexible stems that twine round any supports they find. Their trumpet shaped flowers are mostly sweetly scented (check when you buy) and so they are ideal to grow near seating areas or over a pergola where you will be able to make the most of the heavenly fragrance. Honeysuckles are also perfect for pollinators in the warm summer months and then a source of food for birds when their glossy berries form later in the year.
Climbing honeysuckle can be deciduous or evergreen with the form producing more flowers but the latter gives foliage coverage all year. All honeysuckles will grow in most soil types but prefer nutrient rich, well-drained conditions. Try to mimic the growing conditions they will have in woodland with roots shaded by trees and shrubs and their tendrils growing into the light for the best results.
If your honeysuckle flowers early in the summer, then prune it back by about one third after flowering to keep it neat and tidy. Don’t remove the old flower heads as these become berries for the birds. For varieties that flower later in the season, prune lightly in the spring – not too much though or you will lose the flowers.
There are some fantastic varieties of summer flowering honeysuckle with tasty names like ‘Strawberries and Cream’ and ‘Rhubarb and Custard’ as well as Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’ for a fragrant winter treat.
Hydrangea Petiolaris
While most climbers will tolerate partial shade – one thrives in a shady east or north facing aspect – the climbing hydrangea. A wonderful climber with large white lacy flowers in the early summer, to brighten up a shady spot, this is a real beauty.
This vigorous climber which flowers on the previous year’s growth, so make sure you prune it after it has flowered in the summer, but make sure you wear gloves, as it may aggravate skin allergies. Keep it well fed with rotted manure or leaf mould and make sure it had plenty to drink – especially in the first two years when it is establishing a root system. Initially you may need to train your climbing Hydrangea onto galvanised wires or trellis but after a season of growth it will make its own way using self-clinging, aerial roots.
Frances Hodgson Burnett said in ‘The Secret Garden’,
“I am sure there is Magic in everything, only we have not sense enough to get hold of it and make it do things for us”
So over to you to grab a climber and make the magic happen in your garden.
If you would like further advice or information about climbers for your garden, please get in touch.
