Pollinator friendly south facing climber

Kincora2017

Hi all,
I’m looking for some advice on a climber to cover a south facing garage wall. There is a path about 900 wide in front of it so whatever I go for may have to grow from a large pot. Ideally I’d like something native, good for pollinators and inline with the All Ireland Biodiversity plans I love the look of Wisteria but I’m a bit of a novice gardener so not sure if it fits the bill.
Would anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks.

Jim_Hodge

Have a look here.

https://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/best-climbing-plants-for-pots-containers.html#:~:text=%20Best%20Climbing%20Plants%20for%20Growing%20in%20Pots,display%20look%20no%20further%20than%20the...%20More%20

Kincora2017

Thanks Jim

standardg60

If good for pollinators is a requisite Cotoneaster horizontalis is ideal, bees go mad for it. Forget about trying to grow anything long term in a pot though, far better to cut a hole in the concrete and plant in the ground.

macraignil

If you go for wisteria you would be better to get one that has already flowered as it can take years for one that has not flowered to start to do so. I planted two cheap supermarket bought ones in 2014 and in spite of one being very big now it looks to be another year without flowers about 7years after planting. I think honeysuckle makes a very good climber for pollinators and found bees seem to really like it and would agree with what has been said about planting in the ground if you can as the climber should do much better with the better roots it can develop in open soil.

I second cotoneaster horizontalis. I’ve never seen so many bee congregating than on my mother’s one!. Honeysuckle is great too!

Kincora2017

Thanks all. I’ll definitely look at breaking up the path so given what everyone is saying. Honeysuckle sounds lovely. I’d actually forgotten that it used to grow along the hedges near where I grew up and would smell incredible on summer evenings.

lottpaul

Kincora2017 wrote: »

Thanks all. I’ll definitely look at breaking up the path so given what everyone is saying. Honeysuckle sounds lovely. I’d actually forgotten that it used to grow along the hedges near where I grew up and would smell incredible on summer evenings.

There are lots of different varieties but the best scent really is the wild one.
A word of caution though is to keep an eye on any plants near it - it can wrap itself very tightly around trunks and stems and would eventually damage them. Keep it tied to independent supports instead.