fast climer

[chassyp]

I`m looking for a climber/ivy or whatever to cover a very large area. I have several garages to the side of my property and dont want to fence them. I would rather let nature do the trick. Any ideas would be appreciated. O and by the way I want soething fast growing please. Not much then eh? Regards. x

[smudge]

Hi chassy - we found the best & most beautiful climber for us has been our Passion Flower.

My friend gave me a tiny cutting a couple of years ago, which we planted on one side of the garage brick wall. In no time at all, it had grown up & we trained it along the top & down the other side. The flowers are beautiful, also has plenty of fruit dangling & is evergreen.

We've now given both our daughters cuttings from it & they are doing equally as well.

[smudge]

This might help too:

http://www.gardeningdata.co.uk/climbers/climbe r_plants.php

[westella]

all depends on the hard build of your garage,ie if rendered or brick,refrain from using ivy or self clinging climbers,this will in time cause problems to the brick or rendered ,by drawing all the moisture out of the brick work,making the morter joints britttle,patiance is the key,you have not mentioned whether it is south facing or not,if north facing this will limit your option's,so passion flower will be no good,also passion will only do wll in sheltered positions,and do not like early morning frosts on them,remember passion flower is really only semi hardy,
so there for mild winters of late in sheltered positions have allowed this wonderful climber to thrive,but on a severe
winter you will lose it,i would suggest you go for a multiple choice giving you variation of colour,thus giving you interest.

will grow well except north facing

1 pyracantha red berry
2 montanna clemetis
3 pyracantha yellow berry
4 jassmin
5 weisteria

north facing

1 climbing hidayadranga
2 russian ivy vigorous growing

[smudge]

Just popping back - My husband put a trellis each side of our garage for the passion flower to grow up. He also screwed some large victorian black hooks into the facia, to hold it growing across the top. It isn't in a sheltered position & is growing beautifully. The early morning frosts haven't affected it all either

As I say, both our daughters ones have grown like wildfire too & they've all had to be trimmed back.

[chassyp]

Thanks very much for that one and all, much appreciated.

[midagetrolop]

We had a passion flower, yes it was beautiful, while it was in a planter, when I put it in open soil up against the house wall it grew like hell, it was still beautiful, but it started to spread root into the sub-soil foundations and roots were coming up everywhere in brick joints etc., so I would not recommend this unless you are putting it away from your house. What about a clematis montana, russian vine ( grows v. quickly). I have three wisterias, one south facing, and two north facing the north facing ones grow better and flower more that the south facing, it will grow on a south facing wall but it will not flower as much as it gets too hot ,they don't like it too hot. Keep away from any Ivy except boston ivy as it is v. invasive.