The Joys Of Growing Up

Create an instant vertical garden with climbing plants

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Climbers are conquerors. They beat the battles with your budget, and vanquish eyesores and DIY disasters. They fill little spaces in small gardens but also spread to make a massive mural in larger yards. They drape walls and fences, posts and poles to soften hard edges while adding a third dimension. And, because climbers aspire, they also inspire!

1 PASSION FLOWER

The extraordinary and captivating flowers of this vine emerge in spring and fruit follows in summer. They’re subtropical, so if growing in cooler areas, choose a sunny, sheltered spot. Most are grafted, and sometimes the roots put out their own shoots – cut these off or they will take over and become troublesome. Tendrils twine around anything they can get hold of – a wire fence is good! Be ruthless and cut back by a third in late winter.

2 CLEMATIS & IVY

This is a marriage made in heaven – a starburst of flowers from your clematis in spring and Boston ivy’s brilliant foliage colour in autumn. Both thrive in cool, temperate areas in a sunny spot, as the ivy’s aerial roots cling to walls while the clematis wraps its leaf stems around anything nearby – in this case the ivy. It’s definitely love!

3 CLIMBING HYDRANGEA