3 minute read
To Conclude Non Morris recommends
Under Wraps
Swaddled in the rich colours of autumn, a building dressed with plants has a fairy-tale quality. Here, Non Morris recommends climbers for full coverage
How can we forget Ludwig Bemelman’s opening to the stories of Madeline? “In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines …” We can imagine the elegant house draped in glossy Virginia creeper and we are drawn to its lush, settled feel.
The idea of clothing a building with climbing plants is age old, but if you are starting afresh, it is worth considering the best climbers for your situation. I had a garden design assignment recently for an extension to an architecturally important 1950s house that had to be speedily hidden by planting to gain planning permission. So what are the best climbing plants to quickly soften a wall? Which Virginia creeper to use if you don’t want to end up hacking it out of the neighbour’s garden? Why should we buy Vitis coignetiae in autumn?
The classic Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, is an ‘invasive non-native species’ in the UK, which means it is available to buy, but you should take care when disposing of unwanted material. Better to choose the Chinese Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus henryana, which is less vigorous but will soon cover an awkward spot such as a north-facing wall with its deeply divided, velvety leaves that o er a blaze of claret and red in autumn.
Another vine for dramatic autumn colour is the larger-leaved Vitis coignetiae. It can cover a big area, but responds well to cutting back, becoming neater and denser as a result. I know a garden whose shed roof is covered in Vitis coignetiae. From October it is like a house from a fairy tale when its scalloped roof turns scarlet. To be sure of a plant that colours well, pick out a fi ery specimen in autumn.
Trachelospermum jasminoides is a great plant for coverage in sun or shade, although you will enjoy more of its starry, scented fl owers if it’s planted in a sunny spot. It is also easy to get hold of in large sizes to give you a quick start. Unlike selfclinging Virginia creeper, trachelospermum must be supported by tensioned galvanised wires set at regular intervals. Clip it into columns or around windows – it also makes boundary fences disappear.
Wisteria can soften an entire facade with its fragrant blue fl owers and long-lasting foliage. Wisteria sinensis ‘Prolifi c’ is the most sure-footed, fl owering in its fi rst or second year and often again in summer. But my absolute favourite long-fl owering climber is Solanum laxum ‘Coldham’: This evergreen potato vine bears beautiful, mauve-tinged white fl owers from April until November. Worth a pilgrimage to the Great Dixter nursery or The Plantsman’s Preference to get hold of it.
My fi nal – slightly dangerous – suggestion is Rosa laevigata ‘Cooperi’. I have seen an entire wall of its very glossy foliage in the White Garden at Sissinghurst and I have seen it maraud over a barn roof. It is slightly tender, so I grow it against a southfacing wall where its huge, single, papery fl owers are produced for weeks in June. If you want coverage it will oblige, fast, but with a little e ort you can, I promise, keep it under control too. ■
