‘How can I make my wisteria and clematis-clad wall look less bare in winter?'
We have an east-facing gable wall, covered in wisteria and clematis. It looks stunning from April to October with blooms and foliage. However, for five months of the year it looks pretty dismal. The wall badly needs painting. Are there masonry paints we can apply after pruning that will not adversely affect plants? P Duffy
Ornamental climbers are a wonderful way to soften bare walls, adding many months of interest as well as helping to integrate built structures such as houses and sheds into the garden and wider landscape. But as you point out, the struggle is providing year-round interest, with many of these climbers being either deciduous (like wisteria) or herbaceous (examples include many but not all kinds of clematis).
Introducing some evergreen species is one solution, such as the very vigorous Clematis armandii, which will cope quite well with an east-facing wall so long as your garden is mild and relatively sheltered. Other suitable candidates include the evergreen Trachelsopermum jasminoides and Trachelospermum asiaticum, both of which prefer a sunny spot but will also cope with a shady wall so long as it's a relatively mild, protected garden, or the shade-tolerant, evergreen Hydrangea seemannii and Hydrange serratifolia. Traditional climbers aside, you could also consider ornamental evergreen shrubs suitable for training against a wall, including the wonderful Itea ilicifolia, Azara microphylla, Garrya elliptica, and varieties of Mahonia x media.
All the above will do an excellent job of cloaking the bare masonry and minimising the need to paint the wall. Ornamental varieties of ivy are another option but do bear in mind its tendency to romp, as well as to probe small gaps in masonry walls, fascia boards and guttering unless regularly pruned to keep it firmly in shape.
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As for painting your wall, I highly recommend the Little Green Company's range of environmentally friendly, water-based, intelligent masonry paints (
littlegreene.ie
). These are relatively odourless, quick-drying, long-lasting, and available in a range of colours.
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