Climbers and shrubs for wall or fence

As well as defining the boundaries of a garden, walls and fences can also serve a wildlife purpose if clothed in suitable climbers or shrubs. Wrens and blackbirds in particular often nest in dense vegetation covering a wall or fence, and if you choose the right plants you will also provide food and cover for a wide range of other wildlife. The table indicates which climbers twine or cling and also includes one or two tall shrubs that can be trained against a framework.

Most climbers benefit if you give them a framework to climb up. You can use wooden trellis or string wires across at intervals of 30cm or so. It is better for nesting purposes if this framework is spaced 10 cm or so away from the wall or fence – use wooden spacer blocks or, for wires, metal vine eyes set into the mortar joints.

The ground at the foot of a wall usually gets very dry. Plant at least 60cm away and be very careful with watering in the first year or two.

	Height(cm)	Vigour	Sun or shade	Flower time	Flower colour	Habit
Twining climbers
Clematis alpina	250			4-5	blue	D
Clematis macropetala	300			5-7	mauve	D
Clematis montana	900			4-5	white	D
Clematis tangutica	450			7-8	yellow	D
Traveller's joy Clematis vitalba	600			7-9	greenish	D
Clematis viticella	300			7-9	red	D
Golden hop Humulus lupulus 'Aureus'	600			9-10	yellow	D
Jasminum officinale	450			7-9	white	D
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum	350			6-10	cream	D
Woody nightshade Solanum dulcamara (also'Variegata')	200			6-8	purple	D
Clinging climbers
Ivy Hedera colchica varieties	600			10-11	yellow	E
Hedera helix varieties	600			10-11	yellow	E
Hydrangea petiolaris	300-900			6-8	white	D
Wall shrubs
Cotoneaster (several)	120-300			5-6	white	D or E
Forsythia suspensa	150-300			4-5	Yellow	D
Mahonia x media 'Charity'	300			10-4	yellow	E
Firethorn Pyracantha	300-500			6-7	white	E
Vigour: the more blobs the faster growing
Sun or shade: = sun; = semi-shade; = shade
Habit: D = deciduous; E = evergreen