Selected climbers that are sure to delight in the home garden
CLIMBERS are a good way to introduce foliage and flowers to the garden, especially when there is an area you might wish to either highlight or conceal. There is a good and suitable climber for every situation out there, all we need is to seek out guidance from landscaping experts.
Climbers are good for they do not take up much space on the ground. They will provide generous screening and coverage for wall and trellises, even in the most inhospitable places. We can group them according to the type of site – where they can thrive without much attention.
Mandevilla laxa
The sweetly scented Chilean jasmine (Mandevilla laxa) will constantly delight. The heartshaped green leaves have a habit of growing upwards. Its tender stem would require support, such as a fence to lean on. It will be several metres tall when fully grown. Mandevilla promises to provide pretty flowers every day.
The plant can be grown with a trellis, pergola, or in a big container. If you have the space, growing it in the ground is always the better choice.
Pruning might be needed to keep the plant in good form or shape, but do not do this too often as we need to care for the extending vine-like stems, which can shoot up for more flowers.
I have had a Mandevilla growing on the fence for nearly 20 years now. Its demands are almost nil except for some fertiliser to boost its health. Apply common NPK or organic fertiliser if there is a need.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
There are several varieties of honeysuckle available worldwide, such as the European types of Dutch honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) in purplish red and yellow on the inside. Next, we have the giant Burmese honeysuckle (Lonicera hildebrandiana), which loves semi-shaded areas. The Japanese type, which is known as Lonicera japonica, is a rather wild growing plant. It will easily go off ‘wandering’ and invade other areas if you neglect to do some serious pruning. Its importation is actually banned in some countries – such as under the national surveillance plant pest lists for Australia and New Zealand.
Bougainvillea
The intensely vibrant bougainvillea is very common in Sarawak. It comes in countless varieties of single or multiple flowers ranging in colour from white to yellow or orange pink, rosy red and lavender, along with a host of bicoloured and variegated leaf types.
To be technical, the actual flowers are the small white bits in the middle. It is actually the bracts (modified leaves) surrounding them that give flamboyant displays.
Some varieties need good support as they twist and extend their flowering branches all over fences and pergolas. These can be pruned or clipped into shrubs or planted to cover an area or used as fencing. With pruning, these climbers can be kept in a smaller area or even in pots.
The most widely used in Kuching is probably the Singapore Beauty, which constantly produces purple-red flowers. They can be seen all along roads in large pots.
Remember not to over-fertilise these sun-loving bougainvillea. Nitrogen from NPK can boost foliage growth but not the plant’s flowering abilities.
Bauhinia
This is a member of the large family of flowering plants called Fabaceae with a pantropical distribution. The tree grows up to 12 metres tall with branches spreading up to six metres outwards. There are several colours for the fragrant flowers with five petals including pink, orange, and purple.
This climber is propagated by seeds or cuttings. Remember this plant prefers acidic soil like ours here in Sarawak, with full sunlight to shady areas with plenty of water supply.
There are many other climbers in the nursery for us to select from and adapt to local use including:
• Rangoon vine
• Coral vine
• Wisteria
• Star jasmine
• Grapevine
• Lipstick vine
• Allamanda spp
• Bleeding heart vine
• Garlic vine
• Gloriosa lily
• Marble queens
• Chinese hat plants
• Hoya plant
• Ipomoea morning glory
• Passiflora
Do consider including a climber or two in your own home garden. For questions, comments, or suggestions, send me an email. Happy gardening.