Annual climber for east wall

I have several honeysuckle and a beautiful climbing hydrangea on a NorthEast facing wall , the hydrangea is variegated with beautiful large white lace cap type flowers which really light up what is quite a dark area.. it does very well and has climbed to over 8ft on the fence mingled with a large leafed Ivy which is a bully and I have to work hard to keep it in check.

Are you sure you want an annual climber, jeanie, or something more permanent? Most annual climbers need a sheltered spot but Cobaea scandens (Cup and Saucer plant) is capable of covering a trelllis.

Sweet peas are great annual climbers, or you could grow peas and beans which have lovely flowers, too.

www.dailymail.co.uk/home/gardening/article-1250606/Shady-characters-Light-short-supply-Dont-worry-plenty-flowers-thrive-gloomiest-garden.html
It looks like Clematis would do well as long as it is well watered. I wondered, if you really want annuals, whether sweet peas would perform for you, and there is an everlasting one. For myself I would prefer something evergreen to permanently form a screen, like honeysuckle.

Just thought of Nasturtiums, never fail to give lots of colour, there are trailing/climbing varieties.

Sorry Jeanie I missed the 'annual' bit of your post (must read more thoroughly Nasturtiums are very leafy and grow really quickly as others have said.

Thank you so much for all your suggestions it is very much appreciated.

The reason I thought of an annual climber is it would give me some colour in the short term as I am so fed up of looking onto this fence.

The position is in shade most of the day with sun only getting to our side of the fence this time of year after 5.

I did try sweet peas last year which I love but the display was very disappointing and didn't cover the towers only grew 30" at the most so we couldn't see the flowers thru the window.

I had thought about nasturtiuns but haven't been able to buy any plants locally and I believe it is too late now to grow from seed.

A perennial evergreen plant would be marvelous, but they do take so long to establish and I am impatient.

I had thought of growing the plant in a tub as the area is pebbled, I guess I could take up the pebbles, would the plants mentioned be happy growing in a tub.

Jeanie you can plant Nasturtiums from March to May so not too late.. some Clematis are fine in a tub.

jeannie I have grown climbing nasturtiums from seeds in the same year and put a few by my picket fence the other day, even though the packets said plant in March - spring has been so late this year. Nasturtiums never let me down. My fence is 3ft high and they'll just about get to the top in late summer.

Thank you for your help, I'm going to buy the seeds on Tuesday and I'll have a go.
regards

Jean

You must have been unlucky in your sweet peas. Did the packet say that they were short ones? There are some varieties which do not grow very tall. You may do better for next year by sowing them in October, several to a pot. they will be established by spring and you can them move them to where they are wanted. To avoid them getting their roots damaged when you transplant them, put each seed into an vertical empty toilet roll centre in the pot.

Have you thought about morning glory? Gorgeous colours. Don't eat the seeds though! They are hallucegenic!

I agree about Morning Glory, but the seeds are quite slow and difficult to germinate, so might be a bit late this year.
As Tanith says, nasturtiums seeds will be fine at this time and germinate quickly. Make sure you get the climbing ones. I have had them growing 6 feet up through a hedge.
Clematis will cover well this season and will come again each year.
I hope you manage to achieve the results you want, you could always plant several things for effect.
We shall expect to see a picture!

I think the problem with the sweet peas is I have no sun until the end of the day and they need more sun.

Morning glory sounds great but I looked it up and it needs full sun.

This is my problem and with plants costing so much especially perennials it's money down the drain if the plants not happy in shade.

I like the idea of Clematis but finding a plant locally to buy which will tolerate shade is another problem, I've rung round all our garden centres without success.

I'm planting nasturtiums for this year see how they perform.

Watch this space.

I did a search online and found two absolutely great garden centres, not near where I live about 30 minutes by car but that's OK.

Bought a Clematis which is tolerant of semi shade (advice from centre about this) I have it planted in a tub and it's an evergreen and full of white flowers at this time so I'm hopeful of colour all year round.
The guy suggested runner beans for my arch which is in the sun, £2.99 for 12 plants what a bargain. Never grown veg before so I'll see what happens there so I'm sorted now for the time being.

On another note though I still haven't found anything which will kill the lichen which is happily living in my wonderful Indian sandstone paving. Anyone with ideas to kill this pest would be welcome.
I've tried a number of washed with bleach and boiling water but the little buggers will not move.
The chemical remedies which expert paving recommend are very dangerous and I an reluctant to try these.

found this re lichens

Keep scrolling down it's there near the end.

Hi Aka,
thanks for the link however I have this information and have tried most things recommended except the strong chemicals which I'm reluctant to use as they are dangerous to human beings.

We bought a new power cleaner which doesn't made any different to the spots.

Heard a tip some years ago that dishwasher liquid would clean paving - don't know if it works, but might be worth a try. 'Finish' or something like that.

Re. The lichen and the paving. Do you have, or can you borrow a high pressure washer? Our new (2 yrs old) paving had loads of moss and stuff growing in it and it look dreadful. The pressure washer worked a treat.

Has anyone mentioned Canary Creeper . A packet of seeds will cover a multitude of trellis /ugly brick and you can keep the seeds for the future years

I had my brother to stay over the bank holiday and he says lichen are one of our earliest forms of life and I should let it live on the paving.
I said I'm not allowing this earliest form of life to turn my beautiful paving into a black mess.
Yes Reddevil I have tried the power washer on high and they just have a really good bath.
I reckon I'll have to try the less harmful of the chemicals which pavingexpert is recommending. What a price though to buy them.

On the other subject about the climber I've got a clemates growing now fingers crossed and runner beans growing up the arch.

I haven't been there!