Climbers
High walls of the house are best planted with climbers. They stick to vertical surfaces by means of adherent roots and rebates, therefore they do not need any supporting structures. The most commonly used representatives of this group are plants with decorative leaves: ivy and virginia (popularly called wild wine). In their case, it is necessary to be very careful and cautious, because poorly used vines can easily damage the facade of the house. A climber is also a beautifully flowering climbing hydrangea and American milin. However, these species will need support in the form of horizontal slats, rods or wires, as the clinging roots of these plants only grow when the shoots come into contact with a rough surface.In addition, they are weaker and may not maintain large, heavy shoots after a few years. Regularly trim all vines covering walls around doors and windows. You should also remember about the gutters. Climbers that reach the roof during their wandering up the wall must be trimmed to prevent them from overgrowing the gutters.
Twirling climbers
Walls with small surfaces are best entwined twisting vines that have limited expansion possibilities. To climb up, their flexible shoots necessarily need vertical supports. Attractive plants from this group are, among others actinidia, arachnid, honeysuckle and hops. Wisteria (m alt) grows very strongly, so it should be supported on massive, stable supports. For her gorgeous blue flower clusters to thrive every year, take some time to trim the shoots regularly after flowering.
Climbing roses and clematis
Completely small surfaces, for example a narrow strip between windows or a wall between a house and a garage, will wonderfully decorate climbing roses or clematis with their flowers.The shoots can be easily given the desired direction by guiding them along the horizontal or vertical elements of the supporting structure. If necessary, the parts of shoots that grow outside the rectangle of the wall can be cut off.
In the case of climbing roses, remember to divide them into two main groups: the most frequently repeated flowering of the Klimberia (maximum height 4 m) and the more magnificent ramblers, usually flowering once a season (shoots 8-10 m long). In principle, the shoots of all climbing roses should be tied to bars or horizontal wooden laths so that they do not bend and hang under the weight of the flowers.
Clematis varieties with shorter shoots are perfect for covering the wall next to the terrace, as well as the framing of the front door to the house. The best are the forms that bloom in May and June, and then a second time in August and September, growing very well both in the bed and in large containers. Beautiful specimens with such advantages are, for example, the 'Lasurstern' and 'Multiblue' varieties with blue flowers, as well as the blooming red 'Jessica' and 'Cuba'.They reach a height of two or three meters at most, so there are probably no major problems with cutting off shoots that grow out of measure. Clematis are best suited to the west or east wall where they have enough sun and are not exposed to the greatest heat in the midday hours of the day.
Climbers for sunny and shady places
To cover southern walls that are not shaded all day long, warmth-loving vines such as actinidia and milinas are best suited. In such conditions, clematis and climbing roses will only survive if they are grown in a sufficiently moist substrate and their root area is shaded by other plants. Close to the northern walls, shade-loving vines, such as climbing hydrangea, ivy and arboriculture, find very good vegetation conditions. Virtually all climbers, except for sunbathing actinidias and milinas, can climb the eastern and western walls, which are sunlit for part of the day. When planting vines near a wall, fence or gazebo, their roots should be directed in the opposite direction, and the base of the plant should be approximately 30 cm from the wall.
Problems with vinesThe joy of a beautiful view of a house facade covered with green vines quickly fades when we notice damage caused by plants. The biggest problems are posed by strongly growing self-adhesive ivy and virginia crests. Their sticky roots and rebates stick very tightly to the wall, making use of every smallest unevenness. If the wall of our house is covered with plaster with various damages, cracks or scratches, we should rather not plant these vines near the facade. Adherent roots easily grow into cracks in the plaster and turn into normal roots in a humid and dark environment. Over the years, the roots become longer and thicker, they enlarge the cracks and cause the plaster sheets to detach from the wall. Ivy and Virginia creeper are also dangerous to delicate plasters and external, sensitive parts of the building, such as cornices, gutters, roofing tiles and slate, window sills, roller shutter boxes and wooden wall cladding.Vertical pipes, draining rainwater from the gutters, are unlikely to be harmed by vines with rather thin, twisting shoots, such as, for example, Honeysuckle, Honeysuckle and hops. On the other hand, strong plants, such as wisteria or choke, are very dangerous, as their shoots with serpentine strands can easily crush thin sheet metal pipes. When choosing climbers to cover the walls, pay attention to the length of their shoots. Self-adhesive species should be used where they have no chance of reaching sensitive parts of the building.
