My wife had a long held dream of owning a garden containing an arbour festooned with honeysuckle. It sounds romantic, doesn’t it, but I felt compelled to remind her that in our last garden we grubbed out trailer loads of the stuff after it went rampant under prior ownership and was on the verge of taking over the whole front garden. Well, her dream has come true. At our front gate is an arbour covered in honeysuckle, currently flowering its rampant little head off.
I have to admit that the scent of honeysuckle carried on a gentle breeze is like nothing else. Fruity, with a hint of pineapple, it almost convinces me to be appreciative. But I remain wary. Honeysuckle is one of those plants that’s welcome when kept in check, but hated when its invasive nature gets the better of it. The vines have a tendency to flop along the ground and form new roots, so I keep it on a firm leash with regular pruning and I never give it any fertiliser. For now, the honeysuckle earns a reprieve because it makes Kylie happy. And you know what they say, happy wife, happy life.
The experience many people have with climbers is that they are invasive, destructive, and even a bit alien like. People have visions of their homes being swallowed up by a rampant climber from the jungles of South America, and there is some reality to this scenario. Some climbers do come from jungle environments where they have to climb vigorously toward the light. Others are naturally adapted to growing on trees, and are able to cling without the need for tendrils. Others form heavy vines that will crush a support lacking in strength. But there are some that have a temperament more conducive to gardens. They play nicely, don’t destroy fences and won’t get in to the ceiling or crack the brickwork.
Wisteria grows strongly and needs a solid support but it could hardly be described as rampant. Likewise edible grape vines. They’ll do a brilliant job of shading a chook house without reducing it to rubble. Another favourite of mine is the old fashioned snail vine, Vigna caracalla. It’s a bean relative that grows quickly in spring before putting on a beautiful display of curly flowers in summer, regardless of heat and drought. In my frosty garden it is deciduous, dying back to the ground in winter before shooting from a permanent root in October. If you live in one of the more subtropical parts of the Downs, I’d be inclined to put this plant into the class above – slightly rampant. Keep an eye on it.
More genteel again, and a darling of landscape designers, is Chinese star jasmine or Trachelospermum jasminoides (if you can pronounce that name on your first try, congratulations). It’s not a true jasmine, but is so named because of its flowers. These are born profusely in summer and have a delicious sweet scent. I also like the plant for the rich autumn tones it carries over winter, and not least for the fact that even after it gets going, it won’t take over the whole backyard. A related species Trachelospermum asiaticum is an equally good plant, though a smaller and slower grower. Both will do well in a soil high in organic matter, will happily grow in shade, and are reasonably drought tolerant once established.
Even more genteel, in fact downright shy by all reputations is one of the world’s best loved climbing plants, the hybrid clematis. I haven’t yet grown it personally, but according to those who have there are a couple of important rules of thumb to bear in mind for successful cultivation.
One is that clematis demand a position with a cool root run, but they like plenty of sun to promote flowering. An easy way to achieve this is by covering the soil adjacent to the plant with a flat rock, or by using plenty of mulch. It’s also a good idea to choose a spot that gets some afternoon shade. Rule two is that clematis love a rich soil, so add lots of rotted manure or compost prior to planting and top dress every spring. Rule three is that clematis are not drought tolerant. They like an evenly moist soil. If you successfully grow roses in your garden, you should be able to grow clematis, and considering the sheer beauty of their flowers, they would be worth all the time and patience you can afford.
First published in The Chronicle 21st November 2009. Photo by James Jordan via flickr.com
