Climbers

Climbers have been cultivated for many centuries, often climbers were used to cover an unsightly wall or give a building an air of romance, such as growing roses around an old English cottage.  

Climbers take advantage of the taller plants and trees around them – they need to reach the light and so adapt themselves by making use of neighbouring plants, using them as support.  Climbers do this in various ways – the Golden Hop (Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’) and the Wisteria twine themselves around a host plant.  Ivies and Virginia Creeper have small pads that stick to plants or walls, while plants like Clematis use their leaf stem to attach themselves.  The Roses are the most vicious, they use their downward pointing spines to attach themselves, even to sturdy trees.

Climbers offer a high ratio of plant growth to ground occupancy, as well as making them the perfect choice where space is limited.  The greatest instant impact can be created by constructing vertical features such as arches, arbours, pergolas and obelisks all of which can be adapted to fit any size garden.  Arbours and pergolas are perfect to sit beneath to shelter from the sun and wind; arches and tunnels are ideal for dividing different areas of the garden; screens made of trellis divide up the garden and can rapidly be clothed with climbers, while free standing supports for climbing plants can be placed in borders as a focal point and to give instant height.