Get Planting .... annual climbers

The versatility of annual climbers is becoming far better appreciated with some, such as canary creeper Tropaeolum canariensis and the cup and saucer plant Cobaea scandens, being the go-to solution for covering walls, fences and structures quickly – and effectively all for the price of a packet of seed!

Sown now indoors or in the warmth of a greenhouse, you’ll have plants of these tender annuals ready for action outdoors by the end of May, after the threat of the last frosts are over. All climbers require support, whether they’re twiners, such as tropaeolum or thunbergia, or cobaea, that cling by means of tendrils.

At the more modest end in terms of size, slender climber black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata) comes in a variety of shades, from the traditional yellow with black eye, through orange and bronze shades to creamy white, with some forms without the distinctive centre. Mixtures of these look jazzy, making eye-catching features for a patio pot with a structure to clamber over. For a larger structure, such as a trellis or fence, try Ipomoea lobata (Spanish

Flag), previously known as Mina lobata, with its protrusions of finger-like blooms of yellow and crimson, which contrast vividly if combined with varieties of morning glory, or Ipomoea tricolor, with which they are evenly matched in terms of vigour and size.

Easy-to-grow canary creeper is vigorous, producing lobed leaves and winged yellow flowers if given a warm, sheltered spot, performing particularly well on poor, light, sandy soil. Once it gets going in a warm, sunny location

Cobaea scandens is a bold grower that will reach over 3m (10ft) by summer’s end, making it ideal for a wall or even growing through an established wisteria, providing another season of interest producing its purple-blue or white, sizeable, campanula-like flowers from high summer onwards to the first frosts.