Friday 19 November 2010

Climbers (part one)

The great thing about climbing plants is that by their very nature, they always (well nearly always) give outstanding results for relatively little effort.
I've had a couple of failure this year! And in both cases for the same reason! I planted Ipomea "Heavenly Blue" and Cobea scandens alongside one of the most prolific climbers that I've ever grown - Aserina scandens.........
......a delicate little flower, but if you're not careful you end up with this......... 
That is about half of five plants in that photo! It has it's uses though, one of which is covering nasty wooden fences! Just don't try to plant anything with it!

We've also trained a Jasmine over steel tubing, which over the course of ten years or so has created a natural archway........

The small flowers are incredibly fragrant!


A classic traditional summer climber here in the UK is the good old Sweet Pea; this is the perennial form (Lathyrus latifolius).........

On the back wall we have a Hydranga (which I have to admit, I know nothing about as it's always been there)

As this is getting a bit longer than I'd anticipated, I'll close it for now with a beauty that had mixed fortunes. Tropaeolum perigrinum.....
 AKA The Canary Creeper
It's a delightful climber, with small flowers of 20mm, but something of a pest magnet! First it was blackfly (water and washing up liquid took care of them, followed my the cabbage white caterpillar which are easily picked off. But then it got attacked by flea beetles which killed it in two days flat! Despite all that, it has it's uses - nothing else in the garden (apart from my Cleomes, which are an annual feast for the cabbage white caterpillars) was bothered by pests. I remember my Grampy growing Nasturtiums strategically around his veg patch for the same reason. So it will be back next year, because whilst it lasts it is rather lovely!

Part two can be found here

2 comments:

  1. These flowers are so pretty Keith! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Thank you Stephanie. I try to select photos that look good when opened up full size.
    I wish that I could grow some of the climbers that you have out there though!

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