Climbers for shade

 The south west corner of my garden has 6 ft high fences which are
not mine (and one is a bit ramshackle), and there is also summer
shade from deciduous trees.

In this corner at present I have an elderly mock orange, which is
no longer flourishing, and a bamboo, of the non-invasive variety,
which is now a little too large for the location.

My plan for next spring is to remove these plants, together with
a self-seeded Hawthorn on the boundary, and install three 6 ft
trellis panels, on new posts a few inches inside my property, so
as to avoid any support issues. (1)

I would like a selection of climbers to cover the trellis, and
give interest all year.

What clematis would be happy in a shady spot? How about an
evergreen honeysuckle? What else should I consider? Might I give
myself problems if I mix plants with different pruning
requirements?

(1) Yes, I will take photos first, just to establish the history.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon  Nottingham UK
chris@cdixon.me.uk

Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

 

I would think that might well be the case but there's nothing to stop
you putting a rose in with clematis that need a good hair cut at the
same time.

One of the best plants for covering a trellis is Holboellia, either
latifolia or coriacea.  They're evergreen and have small but highly
scented flowers in spring. Clematis armandii is evergreen, winter
flowering and scented,  Muehlenbeckia complexa is also evergreen and
quite vigorous though the flowers are very insignificant but the plant
can be grown to make lovely 'swags' along a trellis or rail.  Rosa
banksiae lutescens is evergreen here, has charming clusters of scented
single yellow flowers and lovely coppery pink new foliage growth. That
will take some shade and is thornless.  Some of these are a bit tender,
so what you plant depends on where you live and what kind of winters
you get, of course.  We don't grow Clematis armandii ourselves but we
do grow all the others in our garden and all came through last winter,
a bit knocked about but totally recovered and romping away now.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

 

We have Clematis Armandii in our garden and so does my daughter to the north of
Hanley. In both places they survived the winter without being damaged. They also
covered trellis fences very quick.
--

Martin

 On 09/23/2010 01:48 PM, Chris J Dixon wrote:
[]

Hydrangea petiolaris is a good option in shade too.

-E

 

Getting it to go up a fence has always been a struggle I find.  Maybe
it's because of whatever the wood's treated with?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon