Climber to cover large wall - Page 2

If I were you I would clean the wall with a pressure washer before you do anything.

Anybody that suggests Russian Vine needs a severe kicking. It is a terrible thug and your neighbour will not be pleased.  Ivy is not a good choice either. 

I don't think the neighbour would be too pleased about self clingers like ivy and agree Russian vine looks horrendous most of the year and is a thug.

The wires don't have to be installed all at once.  The first 6' to 10' up will do for plants going in this year and then the next 10 feet can be done on next year's budget if necessary but Dom shouldn't hang about if he is planting either of the two ramblers I've suggested nor the clematis as they'll gallop off if happy.

Wisteria is glorious but can be dodgy for pruning for beginners and can also take ages to establish before it flowers well.

obelixx - if I was the neighbour I would be more unhappy with loads of holes being drilled into my wall for some wires to support a climber getting heavier very year, ripping off the rendering and causing dampness. Self clingers do not damage walls, they do take advantage of any damage though and make it worse. Personally he is better of leaving the wall alone and planting in front of it with the likes of Italian Cypress that have shallow roots and gives the height without destroying a neighbours wall. Giving permission to put some plants on a wall one year then angry exchange in 5 years over a bill for dampness and rendering failing...not a good mix.

I've never heard of screws and rawl plugs introducing damp to an outside wall and am in fact about to do it for my own Kiftsgate rose on the front, plain brick wall of the house.   As well cared for ramblers get pruned to keep them prodcuing new wood for renewed flowering it shouldn'tget tooo heavy for the wires.

I have recently cut some unwanted ivy growing up a painted wall firther along and that has left unsightmy dead roots clinging to the wall which will need to be scrubbed off, thus doing even more damage to th esurface.

And once ivy and Virginia creeper and so on get to the level of the guttering and roof they can be a real menace.

However, I do agree a couple of well chosen small conifers or other evergreen shrubs would add to the year round interest in the border.  A viburnum tinus would add flowers in winter and nectar for early insects..

If it's not Dom's wall I think he should think very hard before he does anything to someone else's wall.  The neighbour could change his mind, complain about any damage or move house.  I would certainly do something about that unsightly block wall to the left of the gable end though.

obelixx wrote (see)

I have recently cut some unwanted ivy growing up a painted wall firther along and that has left unsightmy dead roots clinging to the wall which will need to be scrubbed off, thus doing even more damage to th esurface.

And once ivy and Virginia creeper and so on get to the level of the guttering and roof they can be a real menace.

Good points, I have seen stone work wrecked by the removal of Ivy as it leaves that black track marks and root remains.