“Our faves are really foreign!” says Hazel
We pick the best climbers for summer colour, says Tamsin Hope Thomson
Climbers are one of the most useful types of plant in a small garden - perfect for a tight spot, they’ll cloak boundaries in colourful blooms and bring privacy to overlooked plots. Popular climbers such as clematis, honeysuckle and jasmine take up little ground space and will bring a boost of summer colour to your garden.
if you only have room for one or two, choose a climber that is long flowering. There is a huge range of clematis with beautiful flowers that cover boundaries fast - ‘etoile Violette’ has rich purple flowers from July through to september and is a good choice for growing through shrubs. ‘Princess Diana’ will cover fences in bright pink, tulip-shaped flowers until October and the vibrant C. jackmanii will also flower until early autumn. it’s also worth including a climber that is evergreen for winter interest:
Trachelospermum jasminoides has scented flowers in summer or you could try something like Clematis ‘Freckles’, which flowers in winter.
Options for smaller plots
For tiny plots or entrances, there are many climbers which will flourish in a pot. Try compact varieties of clematis such as ‘miss bateman’, ‘Picardy’ or ‘Fujimusume’. You’ll need a pot at least 45cm deep and in diameter, with a small wigwam for the plant to clamber up.
To get the best performance from your climbers choose varieties that will suit the conditions in your garden - whether that is shade or full sun - and the space available. Don’t pick a vigorous plant like Virginia creeper if you have limited room as it will swamp your fence within a few years. And if you’re looking for low-maintenance climbers, choose varieties with an easy pruning regime. some varieties of clematis such as alpine and cirrhosa don’t need regular pruning. Others such as viticella can simply be cut down to 1ft (30cm) from the ground above a healthy pair of buds in late February, whereas climbing and rambling roses are high maintenance and need annual pruning to keep them under control.
Cover arches and obelisks
Climbing roses and clematis can also be let loose to clamber through small trees and shrubs or trail over structures. Depending on the size of your garden, you could cover arches and obelisks for a flowering focal point, or use climbers to hide or soften garden buildings like sheds and log stores. Climbers are such versatile plants - even if you only have room for one or two, your garden will be richer for them. n
“Choose one that is long flowering”