Climbing Plants for the Garden

Garden designer Joy Grey tells us climbers add an extra, vertical dimension to the garden, take up very little ground space and can be used in a variety of ways to transform even the smallest of gardens.

Climbers can be used to disguise bare and ugly house walls, sheds, garages and eyesores. Train them on purpose-built structures such as trellises, arches and pergolas or through trees or larger shrubs to give vertical interest. They can be grown in wonderful combinations – a fragrant, pink, repeat flowering rose such as Rosa Compassion partnered with the award winning Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’. Here are some of my personal favourites which I have planted in clients’ gardens around East Lothian.

1. Clematis – Clematis flammula

Masses of sweetly scented, pure white, star-shaped flowers from July to October, followed by silky-grey seedheads with a fantastic perfume. Perfect for growing through a tree or shrub in a well-drained, sheltered site in full sun.

2. Honeysuckle – Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’

Honeysuckles have great fragrance, so plant where you will get maximum benefit from the heady scent. The large purple-red flowers are creamy-yellow inside and appear from midsummer until the autumn frosts.

3. Climbing Rose – Rosa ‘New Dawn’

Repeat flowering roses give and give through the summer months. This is a vigorous, repeat flowering rose with delicate and fragrant pink flowers and a tolerance of some shade. It combines attractively with honeysuckles and clematis.

4. Climbing hydrangea – Hydrangea anomola subsp. petiolaris

A useful self clinging climber for some of the more shady areas of the garden. Wonderful lacy, white flowers in early summer and yellow leaves in autumn. Try growing it up a tree trunk and prune in late autumn.

5. Virginia creeper – Parthenocissus quinquefolia

An award winning self clinging climber which is useful for covering ugly walls and fences. Deeply divided leaves give a delicate effect and provide superb crimson-red autumn colour. Prune regularly to contain its vigorous growth.

6. Star Jasmine – Trachelospermum jasminoides

A woody evergreen climber for full sun with white, strongly fragrant flowers and leaves which turn bronze in winter. Grow in a warm sheltered spot and prune to fit the available space.