Garden Plants

Climbers: plants for pergolas

By Nick Hamilton

Choose plants for pergola colour and interest from early summer through to November – with wisteria or laburnum for early summer, followed by roses, then clematis to take you through autumn...

'If the poisonous seeds of laburnum are a worry, cut the flowers as they begin to fade to stop them setting seed.'

Pergola in early summer with vibrant laburnum

During early summer there is nothing more invigorating than walking through a pergola clothed in Wisteria or Laburnum, then later in the summer to have the same structure covered with scented roses.

Wisteria and laburnum

The lovely thing about both Wisteria and Laburnum is that their pendant blooms soften the square edges of the structure and give the impression of walking beneath a shower of colour and scent. We use Laburnum ‘Vossii’ on our pergolas, although a lot of gardeners shy away from Laburnum due to the poisonous seeds. If this is a worry, cut the flowers as they begin to fade to stop them setting seed. It is then important to follow these with other climbers to give interest throughout the rest of the summer and autumn.

Roses and clematis

At Barnsdale, we like to use roses and clematis to give added interest, with the roses taking us through summer and the clematis extending the season right into November. The longer the pergola, the more choice there is as to what can be grown, and we like to use a combination of rambler roses and climbing varieties.

One of our favourite rambling roses is ‘Rambling Rector’, which has an abundance of white flowers during June – the structure needs to be fairly substantial as it is rather vigorous. A more sedate climber, ‘Noisette Carnée’, will start to produce its clusters of small, clove-scented pink flowers in June and continue until the first frosts. For late colour, we like to use viticella varieties of clematis, such as ‘Étoile Violette’.

Planting tips

Planting these climbers is restricted to some extent by the pergola’s construction, as most posts will have been concreted into the ground. The plants should go in about 30cm (1ft) from the post. Improve the soil by adding organic matter and a handful of bonemeal. Angle the plant towards the post and, as it grows, regularly tie it in using soft string. Don’t forget to water during the first year.

Look further

Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland, Leicestershire, are the creation of the late Geoff Hamilton who was much loved by the public as a gardener and TV presenter during his lifetime. Today, Barnsdale Gardens continues to thrive and win awards in the hands of Geoff's son Nick, together with Nick's wife Sue. The gardens, shop and nursery are open to the public every day except 22 and 25 December, and sell a selection of Barnsdale-themed and other garden products online.

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