Climbers and wall shrubs are a great way to liven up your garden, and often work best against unused and gloomy-looking walls. After vigorous trials, these plants have been awarded the RHS Recommended: Award of Garden Merit, making them the best choices for gardens of any size.
Burnt orange tones
A half-hardy shrub for a sunny wall, the slender purplish stems of Abutilon ‘Kentish Belle’ carry elegant pendulous clusters of creamy, orange-apricot flowers each set in a rich red calyx. Flowering begins in July and continues until severe frosts. Best in good soil on a sunny wall and hardy only in warm gardens, A method of growing new plants from parts of an existing plant, such as sections of root, stem, leaf or bud. When prepared correctly and planted in the right conditions, they can produce roots and eventually become independent plants. There is a wide range of different methods for taking cuttings, depending on the plant and time of year.
A dense evergreen shrub
Ceanothus ‘Concha’ is, in my experience, one of the slower-growing evergreen ceanothus, reaching 3m (10ft) eventually. Arching branches are lined with small, neat, very dark-green leaves which beautifully set off the mass of clusters of small dark-blue flowers opening from red A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers.
Eye-catchingly pink
Clematis ‘Alionushka’ brings some colour to the garden. The large ruffled bells of this prolific yet very manageable clematis are bright pink, sometimes with mauve tints, and with a darker stripe through each petal. Opening from June, their season sometimes extends even into October and the flowers are followed by fluffy seed heads in pale gold. Does not cling, so needs a little help to make the best of its support. Prune hard in spring. Best in sun. Height: 2m (6ft). Hardiness rating: H6.
A bushy evergreen
Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ is a large vigorous bushy evergreen shrub with leathery dark green leaves. Flowers male, in drooping grey-green catkins to 20cm in length. Height: up to 4m. Hardiness rating: H4.
Deeply fragrant
One plant of this exquisitely fragrant daphne can scent a whole garden in late winter – the very time when we need a lift. Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ has purple-pink buds that open to almost white flowers held in clusters of up to 15 amongst dark, evergreen leaves. Although hardier than other forms, protection of a west-facing wall is ideal. Happiest in rich, fertile soil that does not get waterlogged. Upright in growth, cut back long shoots before midsummer. Height: 2.4m (8ft). Hardiness rating: H4.
Bright and light-reflecting
Another option is Hedera helix ‘Glacier’. This invaluable, self-clinging, evergreen climber for a north or shady fence or wall is not one of those dark and deadly green ivies that increase the gloom of shady places. Its silvery grey-green, sharply-angled foliage is white-edged, sometimes with pink tints in winter, and brings a light, reflective look. Especially useful on walls and fences with no charm of their own. Good ground cover too. Height: 1.8m (6ft). Hardiness rating: H5.
Sky-blue flowers
Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’ is one of the loveliest of climbers. This frost tender annual is easy to raise from seed on the windowsill each year and twines happily up canes or netting. In a sunny place with good soil that does not become parched it will produce hundreds of these exquisite blooms. The silky 7.5cm (3in) flowers are an extraordinary shade of Mediterranean sky blue, each with a white throat, and open from July until frost. Height: 2-3m (6-10ft). Hardiness rating: H1C.
Vibrant orange berries
This near-upright pyracantha features dark, evergreen leaves setting off clusters of white early-summer flowers beautifully. In autumn, the flowers of Pyracantha Saphyr Orange (‘Cadange’) are followed by crowded clusters of deep-orange berries which line the branches. Scab and canker resistant, Saphyr Orange is ideal for cold walls and is happy in any reasonable soil. They make popular nesting sites for blackbirds. Prune straggly shoots after flowering. Height: 2.4m (8ft). Hardiness rating: H6.
Glossy green leaves
Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Variegatum’ is an attractive, fragrant, self-clinging evergreen that has been seen more often recently and seems hardier than previously thought. The glossy green leaves are prettily mottled and cream-edged and develop pink tints in cooler weather. For two months in summer, there are clusters of sweetly scented, white, jasmine-like flowers. Best against a warm wall. Prune in early spring if necessary. Height: 3m (10ft). Hardiness rating: H4.
Cupped orange flowers
Tropaeolum tuberosum var. lineomaculatum ‘Ken Aslet’ is a Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.
