Fast Growing Climbing Flowers

pinkfloydian

Hi,

I am getting 4 Leylandii cut down to about 8 feet (all that will remain is the trunk, no branches). I intend to put garden wire across the 4 stumps and then plant a fast growing flowering plant.

The trees are at the end of the garden and I want to have some kind of screening for privacy purposes.

I'm useless at gardening so could somebody recommend a plant that:-

1) Grows fast
2) Does not die back in winter
3) Has colourful flowers (ideally May to September)
4) Gives good coverage/privacy

T

Joe Duffy..

A Dutch honeysuckle, grows very quickly, and nice fragrant flowers.

vinnie13

Would you consider ivy? There is some nice varietys

vinnie13

Would you consider ivy? There is some nice varietys

Red Hare

I would recommend this -" Solanum Crispum Glasnevin " I have one for the last ten years - it flowers from the end of April to October - it has never lost its leaves in winter( even the really cold one in 2010/11). Also it grows fast. I grow it tumbling over a wall thats about 8 foot in height. I cut it back once a year.

looksee

I strongly suggest you do not plant Ivy. Or polygonum (mile a minute plant) Agree about Solanum, very tough, I prefer the white one but it is more tender, both I and my neighbour lost ours (on the south coast) a couple of years ago. Clematis montana will give excellent cover, not evergreen but there is so much of it it makes a good screen and glorious in spring. An evergreen honeysuckle is a good idea too. I think I would be inclined to put in a couple of different climbers and let them tangle together if you have plenty of space. Remember the ground where the laylanii have been will probably not be very fertile, you would be advised to dig a good sized hole and fill it with good soil or a John Innes mix, and mulch it too.

pinkfloydian

Thanks for all the replies guys. Plenty to think about.

Can I add a few other riders. I'm not at all good with plants, so I would be looking for something that needs very little maintenance. By that, I mean that if somebody says "cut back from the new buds" - I'm lost. I'm happy that once the cover I desire is reached, that I would simply need to cut back any "incremental growth" every year.

I would still be looking for something that provides a year round screen and that has nice flowers from May to September.

I don't understand what "not evergreen" means. Does it mean that the entire plant disappears during winter (and therefore my privacy screen)

T

pinkfloydian

Hi Red Hare

The area I need to cover is approximately 18' long by 6' high

How many plants do you think are needed?
T

looksee

Not evergreen means that the leaves fall off in the winter, but the stems are still there. After a couple of years or so there will be so many stems that they would provide a degree of privacy. Most of the plants quoted will cover an area maybe 6 ft x 6ft. I would think that 4 vigorous climbers - the Solanum, Clematis montana, Honeysuckle, maybe a climbing rose would be sufficient, then you will have flowers on an on-going basis.

Climbing hydrangea is another possibility

pinkfloydian

Thanks looksee.

Red Hare

Yes I would agree with Looksee - the Solanum will grow to about six feet in width. I think its a good idea to as Looksee said to plant some clematis or other plants to grow and tangle together. I have some Climbling Roses growing up through the Solanum and it looks really beautiful.

bazbrady

i got a copper beauty honeysuckle which is evergreen,i was looking at the chilean potato vine but the guy in the orchard garden centre said it may not be hardy enough for where i am inland with frost and isnt always evergreen .he recommended this honeysuckle instead.
http://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/honeysuckle/lonicera-henryi-copper-beauty-pbr/itemno.PL30003015/

i planted this on an oil tank last september and its starting to climb vigoursly,

looksee

Any of the ones I mentioned in the post above do not really need pruning, you can cut them back savagely with a shears if you wish, but you do not have to be fussy with them.

hbonbr

I want a growing screen, trees or shrubs to be 10 ft tall and evergreen. Climbers are not really an option as I need the plants to go above my garden wall. (I wonder would solanum support itself above the wall? )

Can I buy plants at or near that height.

It doesn't matter if they grow over ten feet.

Any suggestions?

Red Hare

The Solanum Crispum would need to be attached to the wall by wire. Yes it would grow ten feet at least. Its springy, so once it gets to the height of the wall it would tumble over the wall and tumble out the front - I clip mine back about once a year.

GY A1

Red Hare wrote: »

The Solanum Crispum would need to be attached to the wall by wire. Yes it would grow ten feet at least. Its springy, so once it gets to the height of the wall it would tumble over the wall and tumble out the front - I clip mine back about once a year.

hi
how long would it take this to grow about 7 foot high to cover a wall

Red Hare

I'm trying to remember how long mine took to grow that height - i reckon it took about a year and a couple of months - it needs a full growing season of spring and summer -there wont be any growth in the winter.

hbonbr

That is a great suggestion, I will give it a go!

pinkfloydian

Could anybody recommend a really good gardener in north county Dublin. I'm looking for somebody with a really good knowledge of planting. I need a makeover (planting-wise) for my back garden.

looksee

Pinkfloydian, you would be better to start a new thread with an appropriate title.

pinkfloydian

Will do. How can I close this thread

looksee

You can't, and it is just your post rather than the thread. Just ignore it. You might be able to still hit the edit button and remove the text, you will have to leave a word or a full stop or something.