Need advice on climbing plants

Could anyone help me with info on fast climbing trellis plants. I have had no success at all with a number of plants I have tried. The rambling rose rambled off to goodness knows where and the clematis which was supposed to be fast growing and evergreen has given up the ghost. So after 18months all I have is a bare trellis and arch.

 

Normally both the rose and the clematis are as tough as old boots, even in Kendal. In fact they are probably the toughest of all. Is your trellis in sun or shade? Is there a problem with the soil?
Is your garden in a frost pocket or exposed to severe drying winds?
Other than Russian vine, roses and clematis are usually the first choice. AND I would not plant a Russian Vine within 200 yards of anything I ever wanted to ever see again.

 

I'd be gald to hear of any suggestins too - I have similar talents - was thinking along the lines of decorative trellis........ and painting the fence.... :rolleyes: (and I'm on the south coast - plenty of sunshine, few frosts....)

 

For a quick fix this year, try Ipomoea [Morning Glory]. It is not hardy so has to be grown from seed, but is really easy to grow , very fast growing, and has a lovely spectacular range of colours. It should easily reach 6-9ft if sown in April.
I never got anywhere with clematis until I was told that their roots do not like hot sun. since I started putting large pebbles round the base of the plants they have been fine.
For a vigorous climbing rose, try the Kiftsgate rose or Mme Alfred Carriere. They are both supposed to thrive even on a north wall, and have great perfume. More modern ones I have found really easy to grow are New Dawn and Compassion.
Good luck!

 

And don't forget sweet peas, one of groups of flowers that the more you cut, the more they flower.

 

Thanks so much everyone for all your replies. I feel happy now to try other things and lets hope I get some results. Thanks also for the tip on the Russian Vine---------think I will avoid that.
Happy gardening to you all and I will let you know the results.

 

Avoid Kiftsgate like the plague. It grows to over 60 feet tall and 3o feet wide. Also there are two clones, one of which rarely flowers. It is aslo extremely disease prone.

 

Lovely Rose though Palustris - saw it at its namesake Garden, a few years back.

 

Hi Palustris, I bought the Kiftsgate after seeing it in a lovely garden centre in Horningsea, because I wanted it to get really big... I hope I havent got a clone that doesn't flower a lot! I just thought if nothing else would grow for softers, perhaps that would - have you had a bad experience with it?
I love old roses, even though they do get blackspot and mildew.

 

A realy good fast grower is Mile a minute and as it nam sugest thats how it grows. It also has fern like white flowers. As long as you dont let it get out of hand It's a good climer.

 

We planted one on the front of the house last April and it had reached the roof by October.

 

If it was me, I would have another go with a Clematis Montana - I have one that is a real sight and not very old.

Liz is right about the pebbles. I have heard that they like damp roots, and you can keep the roots damp by covering with a paving slab or pebbles. I have just an old slate covering mine.

 

Mile a minute is another name for Russian vine written about earlier. I wouldn't put anything like that on the front of my house having been caught out with common ivy.

It grew under the eves, into the loft and out between the tiles. It even forced it's way between the bricks and appeared in the bathroom. It was the devil's own job to keep it trimmed, and in the end I cut it off at the bottom and put rotting crystals in its roots.

 

I always throught Russian vine was like an ivy and not evergreen and its stems whent red in winter????