suggestions for wall coverage

hunnymonster

Sorry to come in "cap in hand" looking for advice. I'm a complete garden novice.
Our garden has a block built back wall which is pretty horrible. It's south-east facing. The soil is neutral afaik but does tend to be drier (at least at the surface) compared to other houses I've lived in. I would like something to cover the wall. My dream-genetically-modified-doesn't exist plant would be an evergreen, spring slowersing (scented of course), autumn fruiting fruit tree to train along the wall.
Does anyone know of something that would fit more than one of the criteria.

Degsy

hunnymonster wrote: »

Sorry to come in "cap in hand" looking for advice. I'm a complete garden novice.
Our garden has a block built back wall which is pretty horrible. It's south-east facing. The soil is neutral afaik but does tend to be drier (at least at the surface) compared to other houses I've lived in. I would like something to cover the wall. My dream-genetically-modified-doesn't exist plant would be an evergreen, spring slowersing (scented of course), autumn fruiting fruit tree to train along the wall.
Does anyone know of something that would fit more than one of the criteria.

Try passionflower
http://www.passionflow.co.uk/
It'll grow like mad,gives good flowers a (sort of) edible fruit and requires very little looking after.Evergreen too.

Curvy Vixen

Passion flower is fab ~ no scent off it though. Pyracantha has the bonus of flowers (at the moment actually) and then berries. Mine has white flowers right now and it'll have orange berries in the autumn. It also has the bonus of HUGE prickles along the stems

For scent you can't beat the jasmines and honeysuckles of the world. Clematis will also be great.

Or if you fancy something different, what about grapevines or fruits of some sort? All the garden centres have a great selection at the moment.

hunnymonster

Thanks folks.

mossym

have clematis and wysteria, both are excellent wall coverage, mine not yet as they're just down, but parents have them and they look well

blackbox

Pyracantha has woeful thorns, and won't stop growing when it gets to the top of your wall. Pruning them is a horrible job, as is getting rid of the bits you cut off. Good for keeping out the neighbours' kids!

TrapperChamonix

Personally I have a number of the aforementioned wall coverings in my garden.

Wisteria is the most dramatic purple flowers but also the most timeconsuming to cut back twice a year. Also my variety blooms in April when you don't get to spend too much time in the Garden.

Passion Flowers (sometimes know as crown of thorns)are the most interesting of all the ones mentioned. If you havn't seen them they are quite incredible. Degsy, I'm really interested to know if you really have got them to the point of being edible. I've tried a number of times (including under glass) to ripen, but to no success.

Pyracantha really has the advantage of the flowers in early summer and the berries in autumn.

I would also look at Ceanothus (spelling?!?) for the purple colour.

However if you want the ugly block wall covered in a hurry, then I would choose Solanium (especially the white wall climbing variety). you get very rapid covering and a mass of white flowers throught the summer / autumn.

Finally a tip for whatever you choose. You mentioned that it is relatively dry soil. Always remember that the wall itself (especially block walls) will soak moisture out of the soil. So its important you dont plant right next to the wall as the plant will suffer from lack of water and also trying to push its roots through the foundation of the wall. Make sure you plant 12 to 18 inches away from the wall. The plant can be easily trained back onto the wall.

Sonnenblumen

Why not try planting apple/pear trees and train to grow espalier fashion along wall?

Scottie99

I've a similar problem. Firstly, I polybond the back wall. Secondly I spay painted the wall with natural green fencing paint. Thirdly I fixed painted trellises (same colour as wall) on the wall. Then I grew different types of clematis through the trellis. Within two years the wall completely covered:D

Every late spring/start summer the wall is covered with flowers!