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I have a high brick wall around our house with trellis on the top. This is great for climbers as I have used the gripple system to grow climbers. At the other end of the garden is a thinnish fence with concrete posts and concrete at bottom. I am having trouble deciding how to grow climbers as don't really want to add trellis... any other ideas please?
- 20 Feb, 2015
Answers
Thank you Urbanite. I did try to add wires across the panels in the corners but fence so thin would go straight through. The concrete posts are new and very wide and tough so could not screw anything into them. We did try to drill into them but think would break the drill bit! I was wondering whether to get some sort of metal screen as wide as a fence panel but higher than the fence but will be an expensive option unfortunately... either that or climbers that will self cling I guess.
20 Feb, 2015
Get a concrete drill bit - worth the money. I think there may also be eyelets on a sort of suction pad which you then glue on - haven't actually seen them for retail sale but we used to use something along those lines in the construction industry when we needed to place a permanent tag onto concrete.
20 Feb, 2015
get some outside strong liquid nails or a stronger glue that you mix 2 components which is really strong . I wouldn't attempt a drill in cement that's been reinforced by being on a vibrating table as its super dense . you would need a hilty gun which is a live .22 round and that mite break the post . just glue to strips of would up each post like 2" x 1" but buy treated would battening they use under roof tiles . its cheap and lasts . if the glue doesn't hold strate away just staple something from one side of the wood to the other just until it sets . now you can put what you want on the wood . b and q should do but read the glue instruct tions to make sure it will do what you want .
20 Feb, 2015
I'm more interested in whether the area you're concerned about gets much sun - if its fairly shady, Hydrangea anomala will do very well there, and 'sticks' itself to the wall or fence behind, though it may need some support (sticks) initially. Otherwise, what about a wall shrub, one that prefers to be against a fence or wall, but stands alone and can be pruned back to keep it flattish, such as Garrya elliptica. Pyracantha will do the same, but its not much fun to train and prune because of the wicked thorns.
Alternatively, particularly if its not your fence anyway, set wooden fence posts your side and affix a rigid trellis fence panel between them.
20 Feb, 2015
I wouldn't grow a climber direct as if it gets brittle and breaks like they di you would have to cut it right down . a plant like that would ruin it quicker anyway .
20 Feb, 2015
This rumbled around in my head last night (as some things do) and I wondered why you want to have more climbers. Are you trying to block out the view of what's over the fence, or trying to make the fence look better?
Without knowing the size of the garden, I wonder if you might actually make it feel quite claustrophobic if you have too much growing high up.
If it's about making the fence look better this could probably be more successfully done by painting the fence - lots of great colours around these days, not just bitumen brown. You could then use big, architectural plants and/or contrasting colour schemes to get a different effect to the walls with the climbers.
21 Feb, 2015
as for fitting posts in the ground you wont be able to do it near the concrete posts as there set in cement which sticks out just under ground .
21 Feb, 2015
Well you could if you didn't put them directly in front of the concrete ones , ie half way between them?
21 Feb, 2015
Yup, no reason why the posts you put in have to be in the same place as the concrete ones already there.
21 Feb, 2015
true but they wouldn't look so good as wood glued to the concrete and as there not in the soil they wont rot so readily .
21 Feb, 2015
You've got a point. Lots of options now anyway.
21 Feb, 2015
definatly sg I hope your well x .
21 Feb, 2015
I'm just going to add one thing - if the fence and posts belong to a neighbour and are not yours, you are not legally entitled to attach anything at all to their fence or posts, nor grow a climber up it. You are supposed instead to provide your own, entirely separate, support system so that the climber does not rely on their fence for support, nor on any attachment to their fence. Course, most people don't know this, so likely your neighbour doesn't know it either, but I throw it in for consideration.
22 Feb, 2015
well that's as maybe but know harm done to glue to the cement posts as it wont touch the wood if you get the right climber .
22 Feb, 2015
Thanks NP - feeling a lot better now.
22 Feb, 2015
your welcome sg .
22 Feb, 2015
Technically still illegal, Nosey - if the posts belong to the neighbour. They're untouchable too, but as I said, most people don't know so very few people get sued over it.
23 Feb, 2015
true thow you did mention a climber directly clinging to the panels which must be worse and theres know mention of whose fence it is and the important part for this answer isn't answering so its a bit irrelivent at the moment . take care bamboo .
23 Feb, 2015
Thanks everyone for your answers! Given me something to think about! Sorry should have said, it is our fence. Seemed like a good idea at the time to have concrete posts! We are on a corner and these two sides are very close to our neighbours side alleyways and back doors. Typical new build houses all close together. Not a lot of space. They are 6ft but always feel overlooked still from bedroom windows. I have quite a lot of wall shrubs but have gaps. I have a new Malus butterball tree in the corner which hopefully will grow and hide part of this area in years to come. Just impatient I guess! Maybe painting the fence is a good idea but should be done that when it first went in methinks! I had a honeysuckle here years ago which pulled the trellis off the old fence! This is now growing on an arch but still trying to work its way around the garden! Will try and take some photos so you can see what I am on about!
24 Feb, 2015
the concrete posts and kicker boards are perfect for the as wood next to soil never lasts very long and the panels are easy to change . have you thought to put a big mirror on the end wall ? put some greenery each side and it will seam much bigger or another arch/small pagoda in front of the mirror ?
24 Feb, 2015
You could add wires across the panels. Depending on the condition of the concrete posts, screw in eyelets and feed the wire through, as if it was a brick wall. I'd use as heavy a wire as possible for this. Then tie in the climbers using garden twine or loose links of wire.
Wires don't have to be horizontal - try putting them at an angle to encourage climbers to climb. But some climbing and rambling roses will flower better when the stems are horizontal.
20 Feb, 2015