ALAN Eason was our guest speaker and he gave a talk on ‘Wall Shrubs and Climbers’ illustrated by slides.
He began by explaining the various ways in which climbers hang on, some use tendrils such as grapes, backward facing thorns such as roses and twisting leaf such as Clematis.
He emphasised that a south facing wall was particularly advantageous as it provides protection from the cold.
Prior to planting any clumber, Alan advised putting 1.6mm galvanised wire supports in place first, you can also use mesh. His slides showed the effect on many climbing plants of mixing climbers and others (not always trees).
He also recommended using pergolas as shelter and shade for plants such as hostas.
Planning your planting is vital so that you can get at the shrubs and climbers in order to trim them and it is better if they are plants that need pruning at the same time. Some climbers prefer to use a hedge as support as airflow and sunlight may be better for them. Honeysuckle looks good through hedges and climbing hydrangeas can be trained to climb up trees as they have aerial roots.
The audience had many questions and comments so the evening was very informative before we got round to village chat.
The August meeting is our annual BBQ which will be held at Jill’s and it will commence at 6pm. Please could all members bring a friend, dessert and a chair. We look forward to seeing you all there.
