28
2 - 8 MAY 2014
home & garden
Summer Climbers
by
Dick Handscombe Holistic gardener and author
CLIMBING PLANTS provide an important element to Spanish gardens. They add a third dimension to the design of the garden and colour and perfume as they climb up and over walls, up through trees, cascade down banks and cover trellis or pagodas. And since most are available all year round in large pots it is not too late to plant and add an extra dimension to this summer’s garden. The table shows some summer favourites that are generally easy to establish. The heights given assume that the climbers were planted in enriched soil. For more information about these climbers and some others refer to part 4.5 of our book ‘Your garden in Spain’.
SUMMER CARE Ensure that the roots are always kept damp. Most benefit from shelter of the roots und rocks to give shade to roots. Feed if plants appear to grow slowly. Tie the plants to ties fitted into walls or tie posts or tree trunks as they grow. PRUNING Prune to create a size and shape appropriate to where you have planted the climbers in the garden. Major annual pruning is best done as part of the winter cutback.
PLANT
HEIGHT (mtrs)
COLOURS
PERFUME
BEST USES
FROST RESISTANCE
Roses
2 to 4
Many
Some
All
High
Bougainvilleas
2 to 10
Many
Little
All
Purple and red good. Yellow, orange and white poor
Lantana bandera and pink flowered
2 to 4
Orange and yellow
Little
Against walls
Good
Plumbago
2 to 4
Blue and white
Little
Against walls and up old trees
Good
Jasmine
2 to 4
White
Heavy
All
Good
Bignonias - Pandorea, bower 2 to 10 vine, variety is evergreen
Wide range of colours in various varieties
Little
All
Good
Morning glory
2 to 10
Generally blue but paler colours available
Some
All
Good
Passion flower
2 to 4
Wide range of exotic colours
Varies
All
Some
Honeysuckle
2 to 4
Several mixed colours
High
All
Good
Grapevine
2 to 6
White
Low
All
Good
Clematis
2 to 4
Wide variety
Varies
On wall or up trunk of tree
Can be tender
Mandevillas
2 to 4
Wide variety
Medium
On wall or fence
Best with winter protection
Polygonum
2 to 4
White
Medium
All
Good
Solanum
Black eyed susie Gourds
2 to 6 2 to 4
2 to 10
Blue and white Orange
Yellow and white
Medium Low Low
On wall or fence On wall or fence All
Good
Best with protection
Annuals but don’t plant out too early
IMPORTANT INFORMATION RE THE HANDSCOMBE’S BOOKS - With the demise of many of the bookshops and distributors that used to handle Santana Books the most convenient way of obtaining information about and purchasing the gardening and lifestyle books written by Dick Handscombe is to use Amazon Books. A search for ‘Dick Handscombe’ on first entering the Amazon Books site will normally bring most of the books up in one go. ©Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com