The beauty of climbers is they can be utilized in a variety of ways, from covering walls, fences and eyesores; growing over pergolas or trellises and growing through trees or other plants. If space is an issue a small patio or yard’s walls can be smothered in these space-saving plants without any valuable floor area being taken up. The other advantage of climbing plants is their ability to provide a ‘wow’ factor in the smallest of spaces. Flowering climbing plants come in a huge variety of styles and colours and grown together can often provide a spectacular long-lasting display.
The following plants are mainly deciduous but are fully hardy in the UK to -15C (USDA Zone 8) unless otherwise stated. Try mixing them with evergreen climbing plants to provide year round interest.
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For a fragrant spring flower garden that will continue through to the summer one of the earliest flowering climbing plants is Akebia quinata (chocolate vine). This has pretty flowers providing a lovely contrast with the bright green leaves, which take on a slightly purple hue in winter. Its exotically fragrant flowers appear from March to May and are followed, in a warm summer, by large fruit. Semi-evergreen, it is perfect growing against a pergola, or up a wall and requires little maintenance, save for pruning as required after flowering. Whilst its chocolate coloured flowers are very different from the norm there is also a cultivar with cream flowers. Akebia Longeracemosa flowers from May to July with brown-purple fragrant flowers and grape-like racemes dangling beneath. These akebias reach a height and spread of 10m x 2m and their delicious vanilla-scented fragrant flowers would be particularly effective in a small courtyard garden, or planted near a doorway to enjoy their fragrance.
The same could also be said of the rose family, although not all are as heavily scented as Rosa ‘Bobbie James’. This fast-growing rambling rose produces clusters of small creamy-white flowers throughout the summer from June to August, followed in autumn by pretty orange hips. It is one of the most reliable flowering climbing plants reaching a height and depth of 10m x 5m. Keep removing dead blooms to ensure continued flowering until autumn and you will be rewarded with a spectacular show.
Lonicera pericyclmenum ‘Graham Thomas’ (honeysuckle) has large white beautifully fragrant flowers, ageing to yellow from July to September. These are set off by its mid-green leaves. This vigorous climbing plant is great for covering walls, reaching a height and width of 7 m x 1 m and is a must in any summer garden.
Of all the flowering climbing plants clematis must be the most popular, no doubt due to the vast array of colourful flowers it offers. Whatever the season, you can guarantee there will be a clematis made for it and the summer garden is no exception.
These two variety of clematis are perfect for patio container gardening. Clematis florida var sieboldiana has large white flowers with deep purple stamens from May until August.
Clematis ‘Maria Cornelia’ is fast growing to a height and width of 3 m x 1.5 m. Its creamy-white flowers have purple stamens and it flowers freely from July to October. Train them over an obelisk or other support for towering columns of long-lasting flowers.
Lonicera x brownie ‘Dropmore Scarlet’ (scarlet trumpet honeysuckle)’s blue green leaves really set off the long, scarlet, trumpet-shaped flowers which appear from July to September. Its height and spread of 4 m x 2 m make it perfect for scrambling over a wall or pergola.
The orange-red flowers of Rosa Warm Welcome (Rose Warm Welcome) stand out against its masses of dark green leaves. This lovely cottage-garden miniature climbing rose is in flower from July to September and reaches a height and width of 2.2 m x 2.2 m – perfect for that troublesome gap.
Rosa ‘Climbing Iceberg’ is in flower from June to September. Its creamy or pure white flowers will flower prolifically throughout summer, as long as spent blooms are removed regularly. It reaches a height and width of 3 m x 2 m.
Another prolific flowerer from June to September is Lathyrus latifolius (everlasting sweet pea), available in white and scarlet. Clusters of sweet-pea like flowers appear amongst green-grey leaves. It grows to a height of 2 m x 2 m and, although initially needing support it will eventually scramble over walls and through hedges.
Choosing climbers with long-lasting flowers will enhance any summer garden. As well as providing a backdrop to other perennials many flowering climbing plants are showstoppers in their own right. Try combining them to come up with your own unique flower garden with long-lasting flowers that will ensure your garden looks good with the minimal of effort.
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