[pookey]

My house is currently pebbledashed and I hate it (pinky pebble stones set in mortar for those who havent seen it).  My dream would be to have it stone clad, but for now I want to grow a climber that will cover it (preferably without much help)  I quite like the virginia creeper - the red and green leafy one.  

A big problem I have is that the ground around the house is all concrete.  Can I just dig up a section of concrete and plant in there?  If so, will it effect the damp proof course?  and what tools would I need - could I drill lots of holes and hack it out or would I need a jack hammer.  

The house is really long, about 15-20 metres so how many would I need to plant and at what distance.

How do you stop them growing on your windows?

And finally - are there any other varietys you would recomend?  I like greens, reds and maybe a deep orange or yellow.  Is there a good mix that would give colour year round.  I dont like the ones that die back in winter and look dead.

Any help is appreciated, it will be there for many years so I want to make the right choice!

[She'sinthegarden]

Hi
Do you mean that you want evergreen climbers? How much time do you want to spend maintaining them and does your budget run to very large containers- like 2 foot wide half barrels, instead of needing to get through that concrete?
S.I.T.G

[pookey]

hi, she'sinthe garden, yes I would like it to be evergreen.  I did consider a container but I thought it might look a bit odd and out of place.  Maybe large rectangular box one with some finials on to make it more presentable would work?

[She'sinthegarden]

Clematis armadii is a vigorous evergreen and you get pink or white flowers in early spring. The ordinary passionflower is evergreen in Cardiff and covers a big area here. I've also got a golden hop which dies back in winter and you cut it down to the ground so you don't have a dead mess on your wall. With a big area like yours I'd go for a good mix. You could include some roses for colour and scent. The bare stems would be lost amongst the evergreen climbers in winter. Oh and I've got a star jasmine that's slower growing but evergreen and nicely scented.
When these are all grown away and knitting happily together, you can cut them with hedge clippers away from doors and windows.

[pookey]

thanks, thats really helpfull.  I'll do some searches to get some piccies of the varieties mentioned.  How long would it take to get some good coverage?

[pookey]

Passion flowers are gorgeous and theres a lovely red one.  i also like the idea of roses.  The passion flower foliage seems a little sparse in the images Ive googled.  Would I use a denser evergreen for the base?

[Trillium]

I highly do not recommend using ivy on your walls. The put out suckers that damage the actual fronting material and the leaves are so thick that they hold moisture for a long time (which you don't want). They're also a beast to dig out when you no longer want the plant. As for keepingn ivy out of windows, you'll need a tall ladder and loads of patience - ivy will grow over your roof if not kept in regular check.
Roses, while nice, are fussy and slow to grow, and really don't like concrete soil. Clematis are a good choice, same with climbing hydrangeas. Ask your local garden centre for a recommendation.  Some areas have better luck with specific plants.

[gobs]

I agree about the ivy, I would not....

Instead of climbing roses, you should go for ramblers in that position, Sempervirens types are also evergreen.

[She'sinthegarden]

I'm not sure how hardy a red passionflower would be so best to check. Clematis armandii gets big within a year or two. I've got dense coverage of a fence in 2 years. Good coverage in a year to 18 months. I put runner bean netting up on the fence first and trained everything in during the first year to get coverage at the base. You need to keep on top of this at first but then just cut out the overgrowth as you like. I'm planning to do the front of our house using a fig and roses etc but I'm going to put them in massive containers (not the fig tho) to make things easier re the building bit.

[pookey]

Ive had a look around my outbuildings and theres a few climbers on them.  I think one may be a virginia creeper (as I think it was red in the autumn).  If I identify them and theyre what I want, how would I propogate some more plants from them?

[Porffor]

having had a house that had ivy all over the front.. and having to pay someone to cut it down.. and then keeping it in check after that.. DON'T do it!  :shock: on a brick building there were still marks on the bricks/suckers etc left behind and they stayed there for over 5 years!  :?

[gobs]

I'm not sure it's clear, but for sake of it, when we talk ivy, we also refer to Virginia creeper, I think. Aka, five-leaved ivy, close relation to Boston ivy, not that damaging to walls as ivy proper, but still can be a trouble.

[pookey]

ahhhhh.  I understand now!  I didnt realise the virginia was an Ivy!

I dont have brick work as the house is mortard and then pebbled, so I dont think it would damage the brick work.  I have just got a few plant catalogues from a friend - parkers and burncoose.  I will have a nose through and see whats on offer.  I will also pop into my garden centre.  I have to decide what I am going to plant it in first before I can go ahead.

Thanks for the ideas.  I am very keen on doing a mix.  I cant find a hardy passion flower in red so far.... but I may get the blue - seems hardiest.

[Trillium]

The ivy would be equally bad on mortar. The little suckers that hold the plant up will anchor into every teeny crevice and cause eventual damage.