Why a Fence Deserves a Climber

A bare panel fence does its job, but it rarely does anything for the garden. A climber turns that flat expanse into something with depth and movement: jasmine scenting a summer evening, a climbing rose throwing colour across six feet of timber, ivy softening a boundary that would otherwise look like a barricade. Vertical planting also makes small gardens feel bigger, because the eye is drawn upwards rather than across a limited footprint. And unlike a tree, a climber can be trained, trimmed and coaxed into exactly the shape you want.

The trick is to remember that a climber is not a self-supporting plant. Almost every disappointment — flopping stems, snapped growth, a fence panel pulled loose by wind — comes down to the support rather than the plant. Get the structure right first and the rest is straightforward.

Choose the Right Climber for the Site

Before buying anything, take note of which way the fence faces and how much sun it receives.

• Sunny, south- or west-facing: climbing roses, wisteria, honeysuckle, passionflower and annual sweet peas all thrive here.
• Cooler, east-facing: clematis, particularly the large-flowered hybrids, and most varieties of jasmine.
• Shady or north-facing: ivy, Virginia creeper, climbing hydrangea and winter jasmine cope where most others sulk.

How the plant climbs matters just as much. Twining stems such as wisteria and honeysuckle wind themselves around thin supports. Tendril and leaf-stem climbers, including clematis, need something slim to grip — pea netting or fine wires work far better than chunky trellis. Self-clinging types like ivy and Parthenocissus fix themselves with aerial roots or suckers and need no support at all, though they should be kept away from mortar and painted timber you want to keep clean. Roses and other scramblers need tying in by hand from start to finish.

Fixing a Trellis That Will Hold

A trellis screwed straight onto a fence panel will wobble in the first autumn gale, and the panel will take the strain. Fix the trellis to its own sturdy posts set into the ground, or, if you must use the fence, bolt it to independent battens and use stainless or galvanised fixings that will not rust.

Always use spacers — 25mm battens behind the trellis are ideal — so air can move between the plants and the timber. This reduces damp, discourages mould and makes it far easier to tie in stems and to treat the fence later. On a solid wall, vine eyes screwed into the masonry every 45cm or so, with galvanised wire threaded between them, create a neat and surprisingly strong framework that suits clematis and jasmine beautifully. Set the wire slightly out from the wall so stems have room to breathe.

Planting and the First Season

Soil at the base of a fence is often poor, dry and full of builder's rubble. Dig in plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure along the whole run before planting, and set the plant a spade's depth away from the fence itself so it catches rainfall rather than sitting in a rain shadow.

Plant at the same depth as the pot — clematis can go 5–8cm deeper — firm gently, then water thoroughly even if rain is forecast. A mulch of bark or compost, kept clear of the stems, holds moisture through the first summer. Feed with a balanced fertiliser in spring; roses and wisteria appreciate a little extra.

For the first year, concentrate on building a framework rather than flowers. Tie the strongest shoots horizontally where you can, because horizontal growth encourages side shoots and flowers along the whole length. Pinch out the tips of the leaders once they reach the top of the support to push energy into the sides.

Tying In and Training Upwards

Tie stems loosely, always in a figure of eight: the loop goes round the stem but the twist sits against the support, so the stem is held without being strangled. Soft garden twine, raffia or adjustable plant ties are all ideal; avoid thin wire, which cuts into bark as stems thicken.

Check ties every few weeks through the growing season and loosen them as needed. Guide the leading shoots exactly where you want them — climbers have no idea where the trellis edges are, and a stem left to its own devices will head for the nearest drainpipe. If a shoot is heading the wrong way, bend it gently towards the gap you want filled and tie it there while it is still pliable.

Pruning, Pests and Seasonal Jobs

Pruning depends entirely on when your climber flowers.

• Early-flowering clematis: prune lightly straight after flowering.
• Large-flowered clematis: cut back to strong buds in late winter.
• Late-flowering clematis: cut nearly to the ground in February or March.
• Wisteria: shorten long whippy shoots to about five or six buds in summer, then to two or three buds in winter.
• Climbing roses: train horizontals in autumn and remove the oldest stems every few years.

Watch for aphids on soft new growth — a strong jet of water deals with most of them. Clematis wilt causes a sudden collapse; cut the affected stems back to ground level and the plant usually regrows. Keep a 30cm clear strip at the base of the fence to reduce slug damage and to make watering simple, and water deeply once a week in dry spells rather than little and often. Do those small jobs regularly and a fence stops being a boundary and becomes the best-planted part of the garden.