Climbers

Can anyone suggest an easy care flowering climber for a partially shady spot - to be grown in a container.  I have a rather bare concrete shed that I would like to cover - I would really like something fast growing and am a bit nervous about pruning - so something that needs little care would be ideal.  Any help would be appreciated.

what I want is a 30 inch waist but I dont want to have to diet or excersize, I would like the earth tilted on its axis slightly so Englands weather is more like south of France and warm up those poor Scots. 

Carol Mc - have a look at this site: http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/garden/climbers.htm

Some good ideas on that website, but please don't plant Russian Vine!  You'll regret it and so will your neighbours! 

Does it have to be in a container?  Plants in containers need much more care than those planted in the ground - copious watering for a start, not to mention being careful not to overwater - and then there's feeding, whilst being careful not to over-feed.  Isn't there a chance that you could prepare a reasonable sized planting hole? 

You could try a clematis montana, but it will have to be a big pot without much sun shining on the pot itself. Put crocks in the bottom then good earth then compost. It will need a lot of watering as it is quite vigorous.

montana is the one, there's a few diff varieties, probably putting this in a pot is quite wise as you should be able to control the size it will grow by doing this. It is called 'mile a minute' for a reason, but is ideal for quickly covering fences and sheds/walls. Try Clematis Tangutica as well, if you google these then select images you'll get an idea of what's about. Good Luck.

I'm thinking montana or montana alba, both would be better in the ground rather than a pot as its roots need cool & damp and containers tend to be dry & warm.

Virginnia creeper has attractive foliage with lovely autum colors, but may be a bit too vigorous & need regular cutting back,

I've never grown these large climbers in pots but it seems to me that although a pot might restrict the size of the plant, the roots will soon fill the pot and need that endless watering that happens when a pot is full of roots. 

nutcutlet wrote (see)

I've never grown these large climbers in pots but it seems to me that although a pot might restrict the size of the plant, the roots will soon fill the pot and need that endless watering that happens when a pot is full of roots. 

Yes, the pot will restrict the size of the plant, but unless it is regularly fed  and repotted and properly watered it will look stunted and pathetic, not the lush beauty that it could be.  Growing plants in pots, particularly large plants/shrubs, takes more gardening skill than growing them in the open ground.

I have pots but the contents only stay there for a season then they go it the garden or are discarded if annual. It maintains a freshness that would be difficult with long term plantings. 

Dovefromabove wrote (see)

  Growing plants in pots, particularly large plants/shrubs, takes more gardening skill than growing them in the open ground.

I should have said "Growing plants longterm in pots ...... takes more gardening skill than growing them in the open ground." 

clematis or honeysuckle,montana's grow quickly and don't need much attention except for control of spread or even  a rambling rose .you could if not wishing to use a pot knock out a pocket to put the plant in.(I have done this by front door where I have a rambling rose and a clematis.)

Thank you for all your suggestions.  Really helpful website Swiss Sue - especially the fact they include annual climbers, which I had not considered.  Has to be a container as the shed I want to cover is a concrete one on the patio to the side of the house, so no soil available - also only receives morning sun.  The container is large - a half barrel - so I am also going to look at clematis montana and clematis tangutica - will also check the annuals.

All your help much appreciated.    Carol Mc

How about an evergreen honeysuckle or 'Mermaid(?)' a semi evergreen rose, so you don't have to look at a collection of dead twigs for 5 months of the year? Or one of the evergreen clematis