Climbing plants to create your garden oasis

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You could have all the flowers in the world but still be missing something to add that little extra ‘pizzazz’ to your garden. Enter, climbing plants.

These plants will cling to most walls, trellis’ or other vertical surfaces with the correct support, producing a wonderful display in your garden oasis. Have a look at these climbers…

Australian Bluebell Creeper (Sollya heterophylla)

Sollya heterophylla is an evergreen climber grown for its drooping clusters of bluebell-like flowers. Normally blue, this is the much sought after pink variety and a rarity in UK gardens.

Also known as the Australian bluebell creeper, it’s great for training over a pergola or arch in a sheltered, sunny spot in milder parts of the UK. In cooler regions this plant is perfect to grow in a container, which can be moved into a greenhouse or conservatory before the cold weather hits.

The flowers contrast with the green leaves and are followed in August-September by edible, blue-purple berries giving you plenty of garden interest year-round.

When fully grown, the Bluebell Creeper can reach approximately 1.5m (5ft) in height when supported and makes an ideal candidate for a container.

Red Trumpet (Patio Campsis)

The Patio Campsis is a colourful looking ‘trumpet vine’ and the perfect exotic climber to bring a taste of the Mediterranean to your garden.

You can make a bold and bright climbing display ideal for growing around terraced and patio areas where the colourful blooms will smother walls through the summer each and every year.

Bearing the classic ‘trumpet’ shaped flowers, the contrast between the bright flowers against the glossy green leaves is eye-catching.

The Red Trumpet is fast growing but you can keep the vines in check with a pruning every year. What’s more, their resistance to pests and diseases makes them an easy choice to grow.

Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

Need a new plant to add some height to your garden? The wonderful Star Jasmine is the climber for the job.

It produces waves of white, star-like flowers across summer, each one with an amazing fragrance. It is hardy down to -5°C and it will add year-round interest to your garden as the foliage changes colours, season to season.

Star Jasmine is best grown against a warm, sunny wall in milder areas or in a greenhouse or conservatory in areas prone to severe frosts.

Although it can reach up 6m in a warm enclosed area, it’s relatively slow-growing in the garden, growing about 10-20cm per year in the UK, so it will not take over like other climbers.

Blue Wisteria (Chinensis)

Blue Wisteria spilling off porches and archways, especially on the front of country cottages, creates a beautiful display that fills the air with a sweet, heady perfume.

Wisteria will grow vigorously and can reach heights of 10m if left alone, although it can be pruned to restrict if space is limited.

The plant is simple enough to grow. It just needs to be given a sunny spot with support to allow the stems to climb. A good trellis or pergolas will be perfect for this.

Once the Wisteria has begun to grow, there will be an abundance of fragrant blossom from April to June and the bean-like seed pods that follow are a bonus. Pruning is easy, just shorten the new growth in August and again in February.

Hedera ‘Goldheart’ 

For a much more muted climber the Goldheart is an easy to manage ornamental ivy that does not become invasive in the garden unlike some green varieties.

This plant has 3-5 lobed mid green leaves with attractive irregular cream markings and it’s perfect for growing over walls and up posts and trellises. It can climb without support as well, so it’s great for covering unsightly features in the garden.

It can thrive in any moist soils and it’s easy to grow in sun or shade with few pest or disease problems. It can also be trimmed to shape at any time.

What’s more, the Hedera Goldheart bears fragrant flowers in autumn followed by black berries.

Shannon Butcher
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