Reach for the stars!
Relax! There IS a climber that can cope with that shady corner. Just...
AWALL, fence or vertical structure in a dimly lit part of the garden will never form the backdrop for jasmines, passion flowers, most clematis and similar sun-loving beauties. Yet there’s no need to resort to boring old ivies – because there are plenty of gorgeous wall shrubs and climbers that will thrive in the shadows.
Take my small, north-facing garden, which is almost entirely in shade, apart from a bed at the very bottom. Instead of selecting yawn-inducing foliage plants for my fences, I’ve ramped up the interest by introducing shade-tolerant stars whose attractive leaves make the perfect foil for a mass of showy flowers.
Clinging to the fence along my side return is Pileostegia viburnoides, a species with long, leathery leaves and clusters of creamy flowers from late summer. A nearby bed is backed by Decumaria sinensis, an evergreen climber from China with white, honey-scented blooms in late spring.
Close to my back door is Schizophragma hydrangeoides ‘Moonlight’, a form of Japanese hydrangea vine with silver marbled foliage and large, flattened heads of white flowers. It’s closely related to climbing hydrangea, but is much better behaved and with more impressive flowers.
As far as I’m concerned, these climbers are invaluable. Their foliage adds texture and softens the fence, as well as making a verdant background for other plants. The flowers help to add a spark of light to gloomy parts of my garden.
It’s not just those of us with north or east-facing gardens that have boundaries set in gloomy conditions. Many gardens, even those that are south facing, have shady areas, whether it’s trellis under a tree, a border wall running down the side of the house or fence caught in the shadows cast by high neighbouring buildings.
Before planting any climber or wall shrub, it is worth attempting to increase the amount of light your garden or a shady patch receives.
Obviously there’s nothing you can do about shadows cast by buildings, but you can prune plants that block out the sun.
Roses are traditionally earmarked for sunny positions, but there are some climbers and ramblers that will bring colour and scent to shadier parts. ‘Kew Rambler’ forms large trusses of single, pink and white flowers with a musky scent, while ‘New Dawn’ is a climber with soft pink blooms. Dating from 1879, Rosa ‘Madame Alfred Carriere’ can reach heights of 20ft or more with masses of white, scented blooms. It was a firm favourite of Vita Sackville-West and the first rose of any kind to be planted by her at Sissinghurst Castle Gardens in Kent. Its origins as a woodland climber make many types of honeysuckle (lonicera) ideal for low light conditions. Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’ is smothered in perfumed white and yellow flowers during summer, and Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’ boasts reddish purple flowers from midsummer to October. Despite having a reputation for being sun lovers, a number of clematis will cope with partial to full shade. Among the most good natured are ‘Hagley Hybrid’, with its pink and mauve striped blooms, and creamy white ‘Guernsey Cream’. Early flowering ‘Fujimusume’ is blessed with clear blue flowers and is perfect for a north-facing wall.
THERE are plenty of climbers worth considering. Codonopsis convolvulacea is a vigorous twiner with pale blue flowers, and evergreen Berberidopsis corralina boasts pendant red flowers. Chocolate vine (Akebia quinata) is named for its maroon flowers with a cocoa scent.
One of the most striking wall shrubs for partial shade is Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’, an evergreen plant from California with wavy edged, slightly silvery leaves on branches that hold 12in long, tassellike catkins in winter. It’s as tough as old boots and will happily take an exposed position.
In my old London garden, I planted x Fatshedera lizei ‘Variegata’ in a spot that never received any direct sun. It did remarkably well, sending up a succession of branches clothed with massive hand-shaped, glossy green leaves with white edges.