South-facing wall, wisteria growing in hole cut through concrete path. Plant about 35 years old, 12' high/long, now all of a sudden a dead plant.
What to replace it with? New plant should be of the same habit, and flower immediately - this or next year. I might be prepared to buy a more mature specimen to achieve this aim, if cost within reason.
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Honeysuckle (preferably a wild caught one from a woodland/hedge, cos these wild ones are tougher than the shopbred/cultivated ones). I`ve one that i found as a kid 40years ago, and it spent over ten years rolling around the backyard in a 5" plant pot, till i got the allotment and liberated it against the fence. Five years on, people come from all over town to nick bits of it!!
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Where do you live FT. North or south?
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Honeysuckle is tough as old boots. Mine was in a pot, got eaten alive by something, so last summer put it in the ground against a sunny fence panel, again got attacked by something but I sprayed it and this year its surging ahead.
The lesson is to watch for bugs as they seem prone to it although I expect a mature plant can handle them better.
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Ah yes! usually the dreaded vine-weevil (the weEVIL part is there for a reason) they are pretty easy to get rid of as they don`t like soapy water! (dont use lemon washing-up liquid tho` i tried it for greenfly on me peppers last year and nearly `nuked them! - use soft soap like Lux). They are also the main cause of dead house plants (Begonias especially!) the bounders nibble the roots, and you cant see them cos they`re in the soil, keep an eye on the ceiling on warm nights, you can sometimes spot them homing in on your beauties.
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"It's dead, Jim".
Presumably the weevils/scale whatsits will be as well.
However, the roots will rot in situ for years.
Last edited by: FotheringtonTomas on Tue 12 Apr 11 at 08:50
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This relative's house is more South than North.
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I've chewed this one over since you posted it yesterday FT and I have a certain fondness for Wisteria.
I really can't think of anything that could possible replace it, last for another 35 years and provide the pleasure it has done.
Go out and replace it with another one paying the extra for a mature specimen that will flower sooner than a young plant.
Honeysuckle?......no contest, it smells lovely, but it has nothing else going for it:)
Pat
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A mature specimen would be great - possibly a clematis too if I can find a suitable one.
The plant needs to grow about 3m "up", then be trained around to go over a workshop door, another 4m-ish.
No "mile a minute"...
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A Clematis would certainly provide cover and interest while the new Wisteria beds in and finds its feet.
Pat
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How about a Parthenocissus quinquefolia ......
....otherwise known as Virginia Creeper.
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>> A Clematis would certainly provide cover and interest while the new Wisteria beds in and finds its feet.
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Here you go. have a look at this rather good index.
www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/hiviz-clemalphalist.cfm?alpha=E
I have about 50 clematis in my garden and in pots so can comment on a few of them.
Many are growing two feet away from a 12 foot high leylandii hedge.
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First thing first. Check that the wisteria is really dead, scratch some of the bark from the mains stem and looks for signs of life. Doesn't sound hopeful though.
Frankly there is nothing really like a wisteria but remember, a replacement plant even a larger one will not flower until it is established - usually eight years
If that is too long to wait you might with to plant something else You say that the wall is south facing so you have both an opportunity and a small problem. Many climbers will find a south facing wall too hot, amongst them most clematis which prefer a west facing wall Clematis amandii however will love the sunshine
Jasmine would work as would ceanothus, which will at least give you the blue of the wisteria
However my choice would be a rose. Again a south facing wall would be too warm and dry for most varieties but some of the delicate roses would love the position. My choice would be Rosa Banksiae which is absolutely stunning.
www.gardenersworld.com/plant-detail/PL00005317/12357/
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For a rose I would prefer this one:)
www.gardenersworld.com/plant-detail/PL00005685/737/rambler-rose
In 3 years it has established so well and is clambering over the garage roof perfectly.
Pat
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Albertine is a fantastic rose but can be very vigorous. A lot of roses and most clematis will find the south facing wall too warm to thrive. Banksiae roses love the heat and have the virtue of being thornless. The also retain their leaves in mild areas
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>>A lot of roses and most clematis will find the south facing wall too warm to thrive.
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I have 30 various clematis ( not Montana) growing on a south facing fence with Laylandii growing just the other side of the fence. All were chosen cos I liked the flowers and none were chosen re their " best in xx position" . Some of the Clematis are 10 feet tall by the end of the season. Each has an inverted squash bottle ( with the bottom cut off) sunk in the soil adjacent. This ensures than when I water, the roots get well soaked.
From my experience there is a load of xxxx written about Clematis. I chop them down and they reappear the next year. At a demo Raymond Evison showed me how to deal with his latest patio Clematis Oh La La. " Grab the whole growth in one hand and chop the lot off about 12inches above ground. He should know - he has 25% of the world market in Clematis.
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Thanks for that Henry, I have at least six scattered around the garden. All bought because I loved the flowers and not sure what or when I should prune them according to the rules....so I just leave them.
Last year I nearly cut them all down to six inches but my courage failed me as I stood with pruners in my hand.
This year I shall do it...woe betide you if they die:)
Pat
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You need to be a little circumspect Pat before chopping them off! Unlikely they will die, but some flower on old wood, so you may not get any flowers this year if it's one of this type. If it flowers on new wood, then off you go and cut them back! We have 3 that grow on the N side of a wall / fence then up onto a trellis. I cut them back to 2' in spring, and they grow 10ft + up the support during the summer and flower vigorously. We 've also got a Montana that we don't cut back hard as these flower on old wood (I believe - maybe I'm wrong!). We live in Lanark, 20miles SE of Glasgow and 200m ASL - so they are certainly hardy!
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Thanks Richard, that means two of them will have to be left alone.
Pat
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Glad you are having success with the clematis Henry. They are beautiful plant and have a number myself but nothing like 30.
Given the opportunity to plant anything on a South facing wall I personally would still not choose clematis as my number one choice as its not the ideal habitat.
I guess that if you can provide sufficient shade at the roots and keep them well watered they would be OK
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I think Clematis are much hardier and tolerant than is often stated ( at least when grown in North Surrey).
I do not have green fingers so they must like ( tolerate) what I do for them.
Quite a few started life with me after purchasing them as special offers in the newspapers.
The come in the post as "plugs". Tiny plants in an eggcup sized mesh and I grow them on from there.
I also have 20 + in pots that I rotate to and from the patio as they bloom and fade.
I buy the largest proper pots from Wilko. I make a fan of canes to go in the pot.
The three canes fan out at the top so that the tops of the outer ones are two feet apart.
I start with three 5 foot canes Drill small holes in each them starting four inches from the top drill five holes about 9 inches apart.
I then use very thin " plant sticks" which are usually green and sold in packs
( £1.50 for 25 in B & Q )
threading one through each cane so that the top one (24inches long) just protrudes out of the big canes and each in turn sticks out further until all fitted.
Snip off the exta length of all but the top horizintal and admire the effect.
If the centre cane is a little higher the green plant sticks bend for a better effect.
I have at last found a couple of images of a commercial product.
www.tootoo.com/s-ps/bamboo-trellis--p-1457322.html
www.ecvv.com/product/2221568.html
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"A mature specimen would be great"
As I continually and tirelessly advocate.
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Funny Dave, but most women prefer the same thing, could that explain your lack of success?:)
Pat
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A classic combination is a climbing rose with suitably matched or contrasting (i.e., for colour) clematis clmbing through it.
In addition to the suggestions above, Climbing Iceberg is vigorous and white (of course), with a long, prolific flowering season, allowing a wide choice of accompanying clematis.
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Like CGN, I'd be tempted to go for a rose.
David Austin www.davidaustinroses.com/ have some excellent varieties. We have about half a dozen in our garden and all of them are thriving despite the relatively poor soil.
Kevin...
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Another white rose that we have - Mme Alfred Carrière
www.davidaustinroses.com/english/Showrose.asp?Showr=539
This is one we bought ( locally) and lives on a north wall.
Excellent description and yes the added bonus of almost thornless
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Slight drift, but I saw this programme on BBC4 about garden birds:
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00vnf8d/Birds_Britannia_Garden_Birds/
It's number one of a series on UK birds in general, going out each Tuesday at 8pm.
New to me, although I see it was first broadcast last November, so still reasonably fresh.
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Saw it first time round - a nice series.
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The wisteria is dead. Long live the ? - devonite
