Climbing Plants for Sale

Climbing vines are that great "extra" layer in gardening: the vertical.

Essential climbers include clematis, honeysuckle, jasmine, grape vines, shade-tolerant climbing hydrangea and ivy, and, if you have room for them, Virginia creeper or wisteria.
Climbing roses, which technically are not true climbers, are in the rose section.

Mature climbing plants are a haven for insects and nesting birds, and several of them do double duty as ground cover. 

• Order now, pay later: we don't charge your card until before delivery
• When your order is ready: your mail order climbing plants are delivered by next working day courier (not the next working day after ordering!)
• Friendly support: if there is anything wrong with your plants when you inspect them, Contact Us within 5 working days

UK Grown, using peat free compost.

Which Size Pot Should I Buy?

• The bigger the pot, the bigger the plant and the faster it will establish.
• Pots are measured by their volume in litres apart from p9 / 9cm pots, which are a little over half a litre.

Are p9 pots worth it?

p9 pots are good value if you are in no hurry, but most people prefer larger pot sizes to save a year or two of waiting around.  

Here's the secret about p9 pots that no one tells you: ideally, they should be planted outdoors between the last Spring frost, and the middle of Summer, say the start of August.

• If you receive p9s from late Summer onwards, it's usually best to pot them up into 1 litre pots, and keep them in a sheltered place until Spring, then plant them out when the soil has warmed up again.
• They will establish much better this way, compared to planting them out late, when they have no time to establish before the harsh Winter weather starts.

Whether you’ve got a big shady wall or a small sunny archway to cover, there’s a climbing plant for you!
Climbers are an essential part of the traditional "English landscape garden", scrambling into trees, hiding unsightly structures like walls and sheds, and growing over a seated area to provide shade, delighting the senses with their blooms and foliage.

They are especially great in the smaller garden, where they take up a small amount of root space relative to their size and impact.

Most climbing plants, apart from Ivy, are not self-clinging and will need some means of support.
Wisteria in particular is very heavy when mature and needs something sturdy to grow over.

Do climbing plants damage walls?

• Those with twining tendrils, such as wisteria or clematis, generally will not, unless their weight gets too much for their supports - wisteria in particular needs a sturdy pergola or strong wires.
• Those with small suckers like ivy or Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus), will damage old, crumbling brickwork that already has cracks for them to attack, but should not be a problem for new houses.
  If they are growing on painted surfaces, don't yank them off when they are alive, or they will take the paint with them. Cut the vines at the base to kill them, then leave them for several months to wither and dry out before pulling them off. 

With that said, most climbers can damage, block, or push guttering, drainpipes and other external fittings off the wall, so don't give them the opportunity. 
Wisteria in particular is the drainpipe & guttering crusher!

Most climbing plants, apart from Ivy, are not self-clinging and will need some means of support. Wisteria is very heavy when mature and requires something sturdy to grow over.

What about annual & herbaceous climbers?

• Annual climbers are grown from seed every Spring and last for one growing season
• Herbaceous perennial climbers die back to the ground in Winter and return in Spring

Classic examples include the sweet pea, the ornamental bindweeds known as morning glory (various Ipomoea species) and Spanish Flag (Ipomoea lobata), Golden Hops (Humulus lupulus 'Aureus'), or the black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata).

Growing Climbers

As with property, the first thought with climbing plants should be location.
It is possible to move most climbers if you find they are not right where you planted them originally but, without exception, they will need to be cut back hard.
At best, you will lose years of growth. At worst, they will die in the attempt. 

Next, consider the final size and the need for sturdy and permanent support, especially with big, heavy vines like Wisteria. 

Avoid using thorny climbing roses close to paths, doors and windows: even if you keep them well pruned, someone will stumble right into them eventually.

Like most plants, climbers love diligent soil preparation to add lots of humus and improve drainage. The exception is planting in heavy clay (which ivy loves, for example), where you just loosen up the soil, remove a square portion as big as the pot the plant comes in, pop in the plant and firm the clay back down around the rootball.

Most of them prefer an open airy position, but many coloured clematis look best in partial shade (and all clematis prefer shaded roots), and there are several good options for full shade.

Once you've accounted for all that, then think about flowering season, colour and scent.

Climbing plants should be planted far enough away from their support, or tree host, so that their roots are not outcompeted or too dry.

• With mature trees, try planting a climber under the edge of the tree's canopy, not next to the trunk. You need a sturdy low branch to train the climber onto.
• With walls, plant at least 45cm (better 60cm) away from a wall. The soil immediately next to most walls is poor and dry.

As with any woody plant, we recommend using rootgrow fungi over fertiliser at planting time.