Climbers are ideal for adding height and structure to your garden as well as transforming your outdoor space by covering dull walls and fences. They’re particularly useful in smaller gardens … if you run out of space horizontally, just think vertically!

In addition to walls and fences, the wide range of plant supports available including pergolas, frames, arches and living sculptures supplies a host of options for creating your own individual style in a garden – complete with the plants of your choice.

Regardless of whether your outdoor space is a balcony, courtyard, small front garden or large country garden, and whatever your style - from formal to eclectic and from contemporary to romantic - climbers and supports have endless potential to create a beautiful three-dimensional space, filled with colour, texture and dynamic form.

Climbers are also beneficial to wildlife, offering shelter and nesting sites for birds, as well as flowers for pollinating insects.

Caring for Climbers

All climbers need a support of some form, perhaps wires along a wall, trellis work, tripod or an archway. Always install the support before planting the climber. The nature of the support will differ according to the climber, e.g. some climbers such as Parthenocissus are self-clinging, while others such as Trachelospermum need to be trained as they grow by being tied to wires or a trellis. All climbers should be planted at least 30cm from the base of the support to enable room for root development.

Different climbers are available for different locations, for example, some require sun, some shade, while others such as Clematis prefer their roots to be in the shade and their top growth in the sun.

The majority of climbers need some initial training and tying-in and some may require annual formative pruning according to the type of climber.

Because they often climb up walls, fences and supports, many climbers may be positioned in rain shadows. As with any other plants in rain shadows, they will need more frequent and thorough watering, especially during dry periods.

As with the majority of garden plants we recommend feeding climbers in springtime with a general slow-release fertiliser. Some flowering climbers such as Clematis will also benefit from a regular high potassium feed to encourage prolific flowering.

Our Favourites

Climbers come in all shapes, sizes and styles so it’s important to choose the right one for your requirements. Our friendly team are always happy to advise on suitable plants for your space but we do have a few favourites that, given the right location, every garden should have!

Trachelospermum jasminoides (Star Jasmine) – by far the most popular climber, this evergreen climber with rich, dark green leaves which turn bronze in winter, boasts beautifully scented white flowers all summer long. Easy to care for, prefers sun or dappled shade. Plant near doors and seating areas or over arches to take maximum advantage of the stunning fragrant scent.

Clematis Winter Beauty – with literally hundreds of summer flowering deciduous Clematis it’s simply impossible to choose any one favourite (we love them all!), but a definite evergreen winter flowering favourite is Clematis Winter Beauty. This stunningly beautiful plant has small, nodding, urn-shaped flowers, with downy, creamy-white petals.

Solanum crispum Glasnevin - popular for its prolific flowers and speed of growth, this vigorous semi-evergreen climber is ideal for growing over walls, fences and perhaps outbuildings and garages that you’d like to screen. The deep purple-blue scented flowers bloom all summer long. Requires annual pruning to control growth. A white flowering variety is also available.

Wisteria floribunda Black Dragon – this popular Japanese Wisteria is a vigorous, deciduous climber with fragrant, dark-purple, cascading flowers in May/June. As with other Wisterias, requires a strong support. Needs pruning twice a year to encourage flowers; two months after the flowers have finished and, again, in mid-winter. In addition to a range of purple shades, Wisteria varieties are also available with white or pink flowers.

Parthenocissus henryana (Chinese Virginia creeper) – less vigorous than its relative Parthenocissus quinquefolia, and therefore easier to control, the attractive dark-green leaves of this vigorous, deciduous, self-clinging climber turn a fiery crimson colour in autumn. Thrives in partial shade. Be sure to prune in autumn/early winter every year to prevent shoots growing into gutters and onto roofs.