20 Weekend Gardener

design ideas

Climbing plantsDianne Bellamy considers the beauty and

usefulness of climbing plants.PhotograPhy: Garden artistry

1. Dipladenia (Mandevilla sp.).

6. Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) festooning a pergola in November, Christchurch Botanic Gardens.

Weekend Gardener 21

MY abiding childhood memory, as a five-year-old in Auckland, is of the lack of fences between properties. I loved the freedom of being able to run to neighbour’s

homes in a continuous, enormous, safe backyard. Moving to a new home in Christchurch I was so disappointed to discover everyone had high wooden fences bordering their homes. Now high fences are everywhere, even on front boundaries. Climbing plants are an ideal way to camouflage any plain fence, while adding a lovely vertical element to your garden, which also has the potential to provide shade and privacy. Climbers are especially useful in narrow spaces where the boundary is very close to the house.

Climbers, which are not self-clinging, attach by way of twining stems or specialised fine tendrils so they need trellis, tensioned wire or a mesh frame to support them. They are easier than self-clinging climbers to control and less likely to encourage rot in timber fences. Grown on a trellis, climbers can quickly screen ugly sheds and compost or rubbish bins. Trained, on a tepee-shaped supporting frame, they can form a very attractive vertical feature in a border of low growing plants. Deciduous vines grown over a pergola, like ornamental grape (Vitus vinifera), are ideal to shade a patio. In winter, sun penetrates their leafless branches.

Self-clinging climbers will attach to any surface with tiny aerial rootlets. Evergreen creeping fig (Ficus pumila), the deciduous Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and Boston ivy (Parthenocissus

tricuspidata) look beautiful cloaking the walls of large traditional homes but they damage painted window frames, can penetrate wall and roof spaces and harbour wild life you may not want to invade your house. They are better grown on stone or concrete walls separate from the house or on treated, wooden, pole retaining walls. Pulling their live foliage off brick or masonry will damage the wall. Kill the branches first by cutting them from the main stem and wait until they are very dry before attempting removal. Do not grow self-clinging plants on wooden fences as dampness retained under their foliage will encourage rot.

Climbers are not low maintenance plants. They require regular trimming (hedge clippers are ideal) to encourage dense foliage. A heavy prune after spring or summer flowering and if necessary another trim in very early spring, before flower buds have formed, should keep them under control. Many climbers tend to run straggly growth up a fence and grow prolifically at the top. After planting, encourage dense growth by fanning out the new stems across the wall, pulling some down to grow horizontally (this also encourages flowering). Trim them as they climb to encourage branching. Most climbers are sun lovers so, if your fence is well shaded, check your new plant will tolerate shade. There are many beautiful climbing plants available; all valued for their dense attractive foliage and some for glorious, colourful flowers.

2. Flame vine (Pyrostegia venusta). 4. Mexican blood flower (Distictus buccinatoria).

22 Weekend Gardener

Some of my favourite climbing plantsSubtropical climbers: evergreen luxuriant foliage – prized for their beautiful flowers (frost tender). • Mandevilla (Mandevilla sp.) (see photo 1) beautiful scented white,

pink or red varieties, very frost tender, needs partial shade.• Sandpaper vine (Petrea volubilis), masses of purple flowers on

long arching racemes, easily controlled with an occasional prune.• Flame vine (Pyrostegia venusta) (see photo 2 ) cascades of bright

orange tubular flowers, winter flowering, very vigorous, needs trimming after flowering and again in early autumn.

• Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) ( see photo 3) small white flowers, scented, prefers full sun, easily controlled by trimming in autumn after flowering.

• Mexican blood flower (Distictis buccinatoria) (see photo 4) rich red, large trumpet shaped flowers, blooms in summer and autumn.

• Bougainvillea – thorny, very vigorous, colours range from white to pink, orange, red and magenta floral bracts e.g. Bougainvillea ‘Scarlet O’Hara’ has brilliant red bracts throughout summer, prune hard in spring.

• Purple coral pea (Hardenbergia violacea) purple flowers late winter , early spring.

• Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) vigorous, fragrant yellow flowers in spring and summer.

• Bower vine (Pandorea jasminoides) vigorous, white to pink flowered varieties, flowers winter to early summer.

3. Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) trained on diagonal tensioned wire with trellis extending fence height, designed by Jane Jones, Melbourne Garden Designfest 2012.

7. Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans).

5. Large flowered clematis (Clematis sp.) Chelsea Flower Show 2009.

8. Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) disguising the concrete wall supporting the clothesline, Rex and Sue Beale’s garden, Bethlehem, Tauranga Garden and ArtFest 2010.

Weekend Gardener 23

Climbers which tolerate cooler climates: frost tolerant (Will grow in warm areas as well)• Large flowered clematis – (Clematis sp.) (see photo 5) an

incredible range of beautiful, large flowered clematis hybrids and species are available in shades of white to pink, red and purple, ‘feet in the shade and head in the sun’ (use rocks or a very thick layer of mulch to shade roots) – get expert advice on planting and pruning

• Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda and Wisteria sinensis varieties) (see photo 6) vigorous, hardy, deciduous, beautiful white or mauve flowers in hanging clusters (racemes) in spring, especially effective grown over a pergola – a high maintenance plant which requires very regular, rigorous pruning to control growth and encourage flowering. (It is best to seek expert advice on the ideal technique.)

• Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) (see photo 7) deciduous, red-orange flowers late summer to autumn, very vigorous

• Silver Vein Creeper (Parthenocissus henryana) hardy deciduous variegated creeper grown for its glorious autumn colour – more easily controlled than its cousin Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) (see photo 8) – prune in winter

• Creeping fig (Ficus pumila) evergreen, prized for the dense growth habit of its juvenile form. Once established tends to produce woody adult growth with much larger leaves – this can be discouraged by close pruning. (Ficus pumila ‘Minima’ is a cultivar said to retain its juvenile form longer).

• Ornamental grape (Vitus ‘Alocante Bouchet’) vigorous, no edible fruit but glorious autumn colour.

Native climbers (evergreen)• Tecomanthe (Tecomanthe speciosa) (see photo 9) creamy

white flowers, very vigorous, beautiful glossy large leaves. (Native of Three Kings Islands, not frost tolerant).

• Native clematis (Clematis paniculata) small white flowers in spring and summer, evergreen, shade roots, needs consistent moisture.

• Maidenhair vine (Muehlenbeckia complexa) small leaves and thin twining stems create interesting texture, flowers insignificant, needs to be hard clipped to keep under control.

• Native jasmine (Parsonsia heterophylla) small cream fragrant flowers, spring to summer.

• Scarlet rata (Metrosideros carminea) red flowers in spring – climbs by clinging to any rough surface – prefers a cool moist situation in semi shade – slow growing.

• White rata (Metrosideros perforata) white flowers in spring – tolerates deep shade.

Galvanised or stainless steel wires fixed vertically, horizontally, or diagonally with tensioning screws across a fence, at 40-50cm intervals, make very neat supports for climbing plants (see photo 10). You can also stretch large gauge wire mesh between fence posts. A cheap option is to use reinforcing steel mesh. If you don’t like the rusty look you can purchase galvanised square welded mesh. Wooden trellis can be fixed to a fence to provide support. Climbing plants can create privacy by growing them on framed wire mesh or trellis extended above the standard fence height (see photo 11 & 3).’Next time you gaze at your boring fence imagine a glorious curtain of green foliage adorned with beautiful flowers. It will cheer you up.

9. Tecomanthe (Tecomanthe speciosa) Auckland Botanic Gardens.

5. Large flowered clematis (Clematis sp.) Chelsea Flower Show 2009. 10. Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) supported by vertical tensioned wire.

11. Framed wire mesh, extending above fence, allowing star jasmine to create a privacy screen, designer Rick Eckersley, Melbourne Garden Designfest 2012.