[Moosey]

We have replaced some brickwork at the back of our house and had a door bricked up.  We would like to hide this difference in brickwork with some kind of climber.  We would like something fast growing and quite dense.

The only things I can come up with are mile a minute, don't really want this and wisteria, quite like this idea but just wondered if there were any drawbacks or if anyone had any other recomendations?

Thanks so much! 

[Dilly Dom]

What way does it face.  If it's North facing then you can't beat a climbing hydrangea. 

Clematis' are always good.  We have two different types of virginia creeper up the front of our house plus a wisteria which scrambles over our workshop.  Or climbing roses are very beautiful and for scent Honeysuckle.

Don't have a mile a minute though they are horrid and will take over everything in its sight before you know it. 

[compostqueen]

The mile a minute will become a pest and it's nothing to look at either

A grape would be quick and then you get the fruit and or wine

A clematis would grow quickly but you can choose from a huge number of varieties some of which are not rampant and that you can control, but they grow quickly and are beautiful to look at. They look lovely combined with a climbing rose

Or there's foliage climbers such as Virginia creeper which are not as damaging to brickwork apparently, although I have my reservations  

It's a question of what you like and what you want to look at. I'd go for the rose with the clematis but I'm a hopeless romantic  

[mumofstig]

I like the potato flowered vines blue or my favorite the white one....solanum are they called.

[Moosey]

It is north facing unfortunatly.    Thats pretty much why I didnt want the mile a minute, I just fancy something  a bit pretty and idealy something with a scent.

Thanks so much for all the ideas off to google them now 

[compostqueen]

yes, they look very delicate  

I had various clematis on my trellis at the last house and I got them organised so I had a clematis in flower for most of the year.  I loved the Mrs Cholmondley  as it flowered early and kept going til October.  

[Dilly Dom]

Just remembered you can get a climbing rose for North facing walls, but sorry I can't remember the name of it.

[mumofstig]

there are quite a few for north walls actually.
On the peter beales website he shows beside each rose if it is suitable for shady positions and north walls.....careful though..........if you like roses you will be tempted to buy too many (like I do) 

[viettaclark]

I've just received the two coral plants I ordered on Friday. Latin name Berberopsis Corallina, it is an evergreen climber from Chile with pretty coral coloured flowers. I'm putting them on a N facing fence and the support is green plastic fencing mesh (cheap) They don't mind shade, hate lime, like some shelter and a humus rich soil (plenty of compost/manure) and MUST be deeply mulched in Winter to protect the roots (although they are hardy to -5' frost.)
I bought from the plant Directory on-line and I'm just going to write to them to say how pleased I am with the lovely bushy plants! And they're guaranteed for 2 years!!!!

[Spana]

If you have anything that looses its leaves in winter the brickwork you want to cover will not be so well hidden but that may not matter if you have trellis over it.

A morrelo cherry would go in a north facing position and is self fertile and you'd have the blossom then the cherries

[mumofstig]

.............. then the cherries

assuming the birds don't get them first..............I stand no chance with my standard cherry

[Spana]

.............. then the cherries

assuming the birds don't get them first..............I stand no chance with my standard cherry

yeh, same here, but trained against a wall you stand more chance of being able to cover it for a short time

[Moosey]

oooo I hadnt thought about having a cherry plant, that sounds like a great idea, although we do have quite a few nesting birds in the garden so sounds like I will never get to eat any!  

We should be ok with just the trelis in winter, its not that much of a mess really I just want to make it look a bit better !   

[tosca100]

Not a climber in as much as it needs tying in, but a pyracantha (firethorn) is great for the birds to nest and for berries, is evergreen, grows well once it starts, and will take chopping back without sulking. You can have red, orange or yellow berries. The only drawback is you need gloves for pruning as the thorns are large!

[Casey76]

I have a newly planted (three weeks ago) honey suckle which is growing like wildfire at the moment.  It is growing over a north/south fence, and will (in a week ot two!) be on a west facing wall.