Reach for the skies

form of a tree, pillars, fencing, trellis, a pergola, taut wires or bamboo canes.

Often climbers are planted at the base of the wall where concrete and foundations make it a super dry environment. To get around this, lead your new plant in on a bamboo cane from about 20 centimetres away from the wall.

Take time to prepare the soil beforehand by digging in plenty of good organic manure if possible. Remember that a new plant going into the ground is bound to be a bit stressed – it has come to you from perfect nursery conditions with a strict watering and feeding timetable so give it some attention while it settles in.

An alternative to buying climbers in containers is to grow them from seed and this is something you could be doing right now. Annual climbers can produce a great display and are also a good way to generate interest while you are waiting for perennial climbers to establish themselves.

Sweet peas are a sure way to grow scented beautiful flowers that you can cut all summer for your vases.

You’ll be able to find these as seedlings in the garden centre so you could get some planted in the ground now.

Eccremocarpus scaber is the Chilean Glory flower. It is a half hardy annual so get some seeds sown this month for planting out after the last frost. It will soon gallop away and produce red and orange tubular flowers in the summer. It likes moist well-drained soil and will scramble up a fence turning it into an exotic picture.

Plant some climbing nasturtium seeds outdoors now where you’d like them to grow and they will be scrambling away by summer and will keep flowering until autumn – a great way to introduce some vibrant oranges and yellows to your plot.

They’re good for dry poor soil or will do well in a pot if you make a cane wigwam or obelisk to climb up.

Ipomoea is closely related to the dreaded bindweed but it won’t break your back trying to get rid of it forever more. Ipomoea

‘Heavenly Blue’ has wonderful heart-shaped leaves and the flowers are funnels of beautiful blue. Also known as Morning Glory, it is available in pink, maroon and white too. Young plants can be planted outdoors after the last frost.

Where your space is confined such as a balcony or small courtyard, these climbers will add vertical excitement to your environs.