By Jojod
United Kingdom
What is the best creeper to grow against the front of your house ?
- 19 Feb, 2011
Answers
Agree with 2ndhand's remarks - any creeper up a house wall should only be planted there if the mortar and bricks are in very, very good condition. If the pointing is crumbling or needs redoing, do not plant anything which self clings, such as Hydrangea, Ivy, Boston Ivy or virginia creeper.
Which plant you choose otherwise depends on the conditions at the front of your house - sun, shade, north facing, south facing, exposed to cold easterly winds, and also which part of the country you live in. Not to mention whether you want evergreen or deciduous..
19 Feb, 2011
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when you say creeper do you mean climber or ground cover? sun or shade?
any plant up against the wall of the house will need to be planted in good conditions first, adding a soil conditioner, eg manure, compost, as the soil at the base of the house, especially new, is likely to be very poor and maybe quite dry.
Climbers that use the wall to grow up are not the best for a house. Things like Hydrangea petiolaris, Parthonocisis, boston ivy.. etc have a strong arial root system that attachs itself so well that the mortar between the bricks, pebble dashing or outside coating on the walls, will be pulled off when any growth is removed. If let grow high enough, it will damage the soffats and may block guttering and roof tiles. Climbers trained up trellis work or wires on vine eyes will be fine.
19 Feb, 2011