ScoobyWon't

something that will climb up the ugly dead trees at the back of my garden.

I don't mind what it is as long as it grows quickly and is brightly coloured. It does not matter if it is a variety that will strangle other plants/trees (as they are already dead).

I don't mind if it is planted in the ground or can survive in a large pot. The ground is predominantly clay based, which I have been composting with grass cuttings in order to get some goodness into the ground.

Any suggestions?

oldsplice

Clematis, honeysuckle.

Graz

I'd have thought Ivy would be the obvious choice, grows quick though so can get out of hand. Don't grow it on live trees either or it will kill them eventually.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

I was thinking 'small children' until your last sentence - I've a feeling that, however convenient and hygenic it might be, keeping them in pots is frowned upon

What about a grape vine, or if you prefer beer to wine, a hop?

Chrisgr31

Couldn't you chop down the dead trees? If they are dead they will come down in due course anyway.

David Lock

Honeysuckle.

I've got one that is currently trying to strangle my willow.

Or there's an ivy that covers large buildings (name escapes me) but whose leaves turn a lovely russet colour in the autumn. dl

53

iTrader: (41)

^^ Boston Ivy

ScoobyWon't

I'm not keen on Ivy. I have one Clematis growing up the fence in front of the trees, but so far it's taken almost a year to grow four foot in length, width wise, it's gone no where.

I shall investigate Honeysuckle's while you lot come up with more ideas. I was tempted to attach trailing Fuschias to the trees...

zip106

Clematis?

Don't wimmin have those?

hectic

honeysuckle (lovely aroma in the early evenings) entwined with a Russian vine ( mile a minute )
will sort the problem pdq





*another helpful post from your green fingered gardening guru

hectic

Cli.. damn , what IS the word again, had it on the tip of my tongue earlier

David Lock

Maybe you are thinking of Clamydia? Spreads like wildfire....

oldsplice

If we did, you wouldn't know where to find it!

hectic

no her name started with an M

oldsplice

Clematis Montana is the one you need SW!

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

The only problem you will have with a flowering climber is that for the rest of the year it will look like a bundle of twigs wrapped around a dead tree !

As well as clemaitis ( there are various types of clemaitis with differing flower colours and flowering times ), bougainvillea are very pretty, as are wisteria.

You may be better attaching some sort of trellis to the tree, or in the ground in front of it to grow it on though as this could be easier.

I would suggest looking at putting in a few different plants, something that gives nice spring flowers, one that flowers later in the summer, and one for autumn / winter green colour if you want to cover up the trees for most of the year.

Also, I wouldnt be too concerned about having clay soil - its a bit of misnomer that clay soil is bad as its actually packed with nutrients, the main problem being with drainage, and certain plants really dont like it. It can easily be improved by mixing in plenty of fertiliser and good topsoil though.

Probably your best bet is to go along to a local nursery ( rather than a garden centre which will generally only have fairly small plants ) and ask their advice for your soil type, positioning etc...

Most nurseries sell mature plants that are a lot larger than you'd get in a garden centre, and mean you can get a fairly instant effect without having to wait 10 years for them to grow and start looking good. As an example, we just bought some Laurels to go along the back fence of our garden, and they were £80 each for 2.5m tall ones, which are already around 8 - 10 years old. The ones we looked at in garden centres were only £15, but were about 18 inches high, so not much good for screening !

ScoobyWon't

Named after my favourite wine I may get one! That's Montanta, not Sauvignon Blanc

I've already ran chicken wire up my first fence, then joined it to the second fence, so there is support for the plants to climb across.

I can get my hands on loads of free trellace and pots that my brother has just taken down/out of his garden so I can recycle those too

I've been thinking of a climbing rose in the right-hand, sat behind the first fence corner.

I did like Bougainvillea when I lived out in Tenerife. I may have a look for that also. Looks like a trip to the nursery tomorrow.

And after I've finished picking up Yummy-Mummies I may go to the plant nursery

oldsplice

Get on to David Austin for your rose........they're excellent. Or Peter Beales. Some nurseries stock them, or buy direct and they send them out bare rooted in the autumn. I got all my old-fashioned roses from David Austin.

ScoobyWon't

I shall google them and take a look at what they have.

I'd really like to get something in the left hand corner but that has a high wall, topped with a fence facing south, then both of my fences at a high height facing west. Hmm, something that doesn't mind shade. Any ideas?

oldsplice

Gloire de Dijon.

little-ginge

fuschias or aquilegia don't mind shade

how tall do you want the plant to grow??

little-ginge

Good advice, OS

zip106

You can get evergreen clematis.

ScoobyWon't

4 - 5 meters to cover the trees.

hectic

Isnt that a shopping centre

Shark Man

I've got a Wisteria growing up one of my weed trees (Sycamore with a TPO...ffs why TPO a giant weed? ).

Looks lovely in full flower - certainly makes the ugly weed look nice (pity it won't strangle it so I don't have to put up with all the lime it dumps on the cars, the huge leaves that clog the gutters and make a mess everywhere and all the seedlings that shoot up in my block paving and gravel )

Takes a few years to get settled and start flowering though, but once established its pretty hardy.

ScoobyWon't

I will take a more detailed look in to Wisteria.

Is there anything that would strangle the life out of any new bits that turn up on my border?

oldsplice

These are our Aquilegias and Sweet Rocket last year.

ScoobyWon't

Today I've planted a Chilean Potato Tree.


The colour scheme will now go from left to right blue/purple > purple/pink > undecided. Maybe a pink and white?

I'm still umming-and-arring over which rose I want to plant in the far corner. Any advice gladly listened to.

Tomorrow I'm moving onto extending the patio so I can fit a table on to it.

I've also decided to lay some slabs in the lawn to place pots on. I'm thinking of a couple of minuture Bay trees and I've seen a couple of others that I am going to go back to view.

I'll try and do a WIP photo or two as it moves along.

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

If you want a nice interesting decorative tree to grow in a pot, look for Japanese Maple - have just planted a 2m one in our garden that was bought in a pot - they are pretty hardy and the leaves go from a dark red colour in the winter and spring to green in the summer and then brown to red in the autumn, so they always change and give a different look.

Flowering trees are very pretty, but a lot only flower for a short time, and after that they dont really look that decorative. We've got some flowering cherry trees, and they're lovely when flowering, but the flowers last about a month in spring, then its just a green tree after that.

Another popular pot plant is Red Robin which most garden centres will sell at around 2 - 3 foot height.