This is the first monthly article from our gardening columnist, Katherine Holland, who will be sharing snippets from her gardening life – Whether it is plants she is growing, musings from visits to other gardens or jobs in the allotment.
As a gardener I find nothing is quite as captivating as a climbing plant. Whether it’s a rambling rose sprawling along an old weatherboard clad building or ivy hiding an unsightly fence, climbers give a height and softness even in a small space.
As Spring slowly creeps in I’ve been rooting through my seedbox seeking inspiration for things to grow. I love growing from seed, sharing the inevitable glut of seedlings with friends. Even in the smallest of gardens an annual climber can be used to bring temporary colour and foliage.
Here are three of my top tried and tested climbers:
- Thunbergia alata, more commonly known as black-eyed susan. Thunbergia flowers reliably for four months or so over the summer, working hard and earning its place in a small space. Available in both vivid and muted shades of yellow and orange, a favourite of mine is African Sunset. To grow: sow seeds onto moist compost, cover with 10mm of vermiculite and propagate at 20 degrees C. Plant out after the risk of frost has passed.
- Ipomoea lobata – commonly known as Spanish flag. Ipomoea produces small red tubular like flowers which fade through to orange and cream as they age – I’ve often been asked about it as it stops people in their tracks. It is my go-to recommendation for clients that want to inject a bit of heat into their cut flower arrangements. Once they’ve got going they produce an abundance of flowers until the first frost – so even if you don’t have a dedicated cutting bed you can grow them up a trellis or pergola, cut what you need, and still have enough blooms for the plant to look good in the garden. To grow: soak seeds for 30 minutes in warm water before planting, and plant 0.5cm deep in moist compost before propagating at 20 degrees C.
- Even if you don’t have a propagator, sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) are a must and easy to raise from seed! A particular favourite is Beaujolais – it is a rich burgundy flower, delicately scented and lasts very well as a cut flower. To grow: simply soak the seeds for 24 hours (there is much debate about whether this step is necessary, but in my mind it does no harm), sow 1cm deep in 9cm pots and leave on a sunny windowsill to germinate.
Marlborough Rugby – three figure score against Reading, but come to The Common on Saturday for final home match – against Devizes
