Climbing Plants
Posted by Phytopath on Sep 30, 2011
When you have a limited amount of ground space in which to garden, climbing plants are the answer. Vertical gardening can be useful for screening an unpleasant view, whether that view is a neighbour’s ugly shed or an ugly neighbour.
Some gardeners delight in covering an unsightly shed or fence with a beautiful flowering climber. Unfortunately, many visitors to the garden will most likely be thinking “Oh what a beautiful climber covering an ugly fence.”
The best thing to do in this case would be to grow a climber that is not showy – just green with insignificant flowers. That way, the eye will not be drawn to the climber or the fence behind it.
If you want people to be drawn to a particular area in your garden, then a large flowering climber growing over an arch should do the trick. Keep in mind that your choice of plant will have a huge impact on how well the arch will look.
For example, you wouldn’t choose a plant that has a strong upright growth habit because you would end up with bare branches on either side of the arch and all of the foliage sitting at the top of the arch, much like a Bart Simpson hair cut.
A fair amount of thought is also needed when matching the plant to the arch or structure that it will cover. A strong, vigorous growing Bougainvillea or Wisteria would soon crush a light weight, whimsical frame. Something stronger and long lasting would be required to support such plants.
The opposite may be true for climbers that are not at all vigorous. The chosen plant could possibly be a disappointment when it struggles to reach only half way up the climbing frame. In this case, the arch would be the feature instead of the climber.
The shape, size and pattern of the frame, is also important. Plants utilize different methods to make their way up the frame that you have provided. Some twine their stems around a support, some use tendrils as a means to hang on, others use backward facing hooks and yet others seem to hang on for dear life, using sucker pads that can be extremely difficult to remove in the future.
Make sure an arch is much wider than it needs to be. This will allow room for plant growth on the sides without you having to prune the heck out of it, so that you can push the wheelbarrow through.
Maintenance of the climbing frame or support needs some consideration as well. Is the support made from timber? Will it need repainting at some time in the future?
Or is the support made of material that will rust? How will you prevent the climber from collapsing?
Another consideration in plant selection is whether to choose an evergreen or deciduous climber. Both have their merits. The main benefit of using a deciduous climber is; with thought given to the location, it can provide shade in the summer months and allow the sun to shine through during the winter months.
What about growing climbers up a tree?
Although it can look nice in some cases, the short answer is – don’t do it.
Beneath that beautiful display of flowers and foliage there could be lurking some dreaded pest or disease in the tree. Well hidden and un-noticed, it could eventually lead to the demise of the tree supporting the climber.
Climbers also increase the total crown weight of the tree, possibly leading to wind resistance and instability. If the foliage of the climber is dense, it can also lead to reduced photosynthesis in the leaves of the tree, which would weaken the tree and reduce vigour.
Growing climbing plants up living trees also makes it too darn hard to pick the flowers to put into a vase.
Microclimate Modification
Posted by Phytopath on Sep 18, 2011
Would you like to grow a particular plant, but live in an area where it might be difficult?
For example, perhaps you would like to grow a banana plant in an area that would be considered too cold. Or perhaps your chosen plant needs protection from frost. Or how about diverting cool summer breezes toward an open window?
Microclimate modification can be achieved through the use of wind breaks, shade trees, paved areas and water features.
If you would like to create an area in the garden that is warmer than the rest of the garden, create large paved areas and use rock, brick or masonry where possible. Make sure the area also has maximum sun exposure. This would be north facing in the southern hemisphere and south facing in the northern hemisphere.
Planting under evergreen trees can also offer some frost protection for more sensitive plants. Make use of windbreaks planted in the direction of cold prevailing winds.
To create a cooler microclimate, use many shade trees and climbing vines throughout the area. Prune the lower branches from trees and shrubs (called canopy lifting), to allow air to flow freely around the garden. Plant a large shade tree on the southern side of the house (northern side in the northern hemisphere) and open an adjacent 
house window. The transpiration from the foliage of the tree will create an evaporative cooling effect, all
without the use of electricity. Fish ponds and pools can also create a similar effect.
For garden plants that prefer some humidity, create a forest atmosphere by having different canopy heights. Use groundcovers and low growing plants as well as trees, shrubs and climbers. A thick canopy will reduce evaporation and increase transpiration leading to higher relative humidity. This can be utilized for either cool temperate plants like ferns or warm temperate plants like palms.
