Jayne Anthony Garden Design

Climbers/Wall Shrubs

What is a climbing plant?
A climbing plant is one which has a mechanism for attaching itself to walls and structures to enable it to scramble upwards. Some of them have aerial roots to attached themselves to walls e.g. Ivy. Some have adhesive pads e.g. Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper). Some coil their stems around a support e.g. Wisteria, and others coil modified leaves or stems around supports e.g. Clematis.

How can climbers be used in the garden?
Climbers can be grown up house or boundary walls to soften the solidity of the structure.

They can be grown up pergolas and arches to create vertical interest, perhaps creating a cool shady sitting area in the garden, or a secretive retreat. Scented flowers over a structure like this adds an extra dimension.

They can be used to cover unsightly elements such as a garden shed.

They can scramble over other shrubs to extend the interest into another season.

What can they add to the garden?

Flowers
A wide range of flowering climbers is available for all seasons. They can be bold and bright or subtle, pastel shades.

Wisteria sinensis is a beautiful climber with lilac or white flowers. It is quite vigorous once it gets going and needs to be pruned twice a year.

Jasminum nudiflorum is a climber that has yellow flowers in winter and tolerates shade.

Foliage
Parthenocissus quinquefolia is a vigorous climber with foliage that turns fiery red in Autumn.

Berries
Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina' is a vigorous deciduous climbers with fragrant deep red/purple flowers followed by red berries in Autumn.

Scent
Clematis armandii is another vigorous climber with almond scented flowers in spring.

Coverage
Clematis montana is a vigorous spring flowering clematis that quickly covers its support.

Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus' is a deciduous climber with interestingly shaped leaves that creates good shade coverage. This plant is useful when you want summer shade only and more sun in the colder months as it covers a pergola rapidly in summer and is cut back to the ground in the Autumn. This climber also tolerates shade and produces interesting hops in late summer/autumn.