Grow Your Own Magazine

Our neighbours have just put up a brand new 'orange' fence. So I was wondering whether there's a fast growing self-clinging climber out there? Would be easier if it was self-clinging so we don't have to attach owt to their fence!

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

And if someone can advise that one that will grow on a north-facing wall, that would suit me fine too!

Garrya Elliptica Jenny!

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SSx
not every situation requires a big onion

I'll need to look that one up! Thanks SS

Clematis montana, Or why not try a Rambling Rose?

Benacre

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http://lowestoftnaturalist-benacre.blogspot.com/

I didn't think any of those three suggestions were 'self-clinging'? Isn't Garrya a shrub?

What's Virginia Creeper like, or Russian vine? Anyone grow them?

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Dont get any Russian vine, it spreads worse than Bindweed!!!!!!!!!

The previous owner of our house put some in the garden, and we are still trying to remove it now, 4 years later!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 5th November2008 - new piccies!

Yes it is a shrub, strangely it seems to 'cling' to a fence - in my last garden it was plunged into eternal darkness and flourished. I did prune it heavily every year, but never tied it up

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SSx
not every situation requires a big onion

Self clinging and good on North facing, best is Hydrangea petiolaris (as it used to be called, cannot remember what it is now off hand). Not ever green though.

You could try - Campsis, lovely Orange trumpet flowers in the summer but not evergreen. Parthenosis (Boston Ivy), again not evergreen but good autumn colour. A bit like Virgina Creeper but larger leaves. All of them are rampant and will take hard cutting back. Slower growing but a fancy Ivy could do he trick and it is evergreen and will take a North facing situation.

Bon Courage

I'm getting Ivy - Gold heart - which is a varigated version for a dark wall in my garden.

Have had no luck with growing Clematis Montana outside (only grows very slowly in the polytunnel) and even the Mile A Minute Russian Vine died! (We've tried 2). Then the ivy didn't really take. I think the north facing side of the house, must be particularly cold at certain times of the year and just manages to kill everything off. Thanks for all your ideas. I'm still looking them up!

I think that you should try a mix of Ivy and Hydrenga Pectorlaris,Jennie. I have got both on North Facing walls and they are OK but neither grow very fast. Perhaps a dose of dark Wood preservative may improve the appearance until you get something green to cover it

I have a Hydrangea Petiolarus on a North facing wall and it does well now, but it was very slow to start.
Ivy should be an obvious choice - I didn't think you could kill the stuff.
SBP if you provide a very little assistance - a few wires or strings to grab onto - honeysuckle will do it for you.
Or if you want something which will grow up without clinging on try cotoneaster horizontales.
Good luck finding what you want.

Get the local school kids to paint a lovely floral mural on it! But make sure non of them are graffiti artists!

Seriously though, we have a dark green large leaved Ivy (Hedera ?) planted at a North facing wall, it thrives and is self clinging! Do fan trained Morello cherries not prefer a North facing wall as well?

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Surely you can paint your side any colour you like can't you?

Fan trained hard fruit or soft fruit look nice? Not self clinging but only require wires attaching at each end!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Mine grows about 2ft a week in the summer jenny !!!

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Yes, thats very nice Nick, but what about the plants??

__________________
Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 5th November2008 - new piccies!

well spotted Mrs D. I nearly choked on my tea!
Obviousy the far north is not yet good for climbers. Can one encourage lichen?

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Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

Ta, I think I might keep an eye out for a climbing Hydrangea, maybe an evergreen one, aren't they supposed to grow a bit faster than the deciduous ones?

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

When you say "fence", do you mean one of those horrible B & Q panel efforts? If so, you'll be lucky to get anything to climb it. I'm not sure what they use as preservative, but it's certainly not plant-friendly. Also, most climbing plants need a bit of help, at least to start with. Ivy is self-clinging (sometimes aggressively so), Virginia Creeper too, but most clematis and honeysuckles need something to twine round. A good clue is to look at a plant and see how it supports itself. If it twines round and round, then it will neet netting or trellis. If it sends out little "rootlets" from the stem like ivy does, then it will self cling.

Russian Vine - don't even think about it. I have some on my back fence, every year I cut it down, dig it up, and it comes back even stronger than before. Horrible stuff.