Alys Fowler's gardening columnGardening advice This article is more than 5 years oldThe best climbers for shade
This article is more than 5 years oldOur gardening expert on how she quickly improved the view from her washing-up bowl
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I have been washing up looking out on a wooden fence for over 10 years. Once, I tried to rectify this with hanging pot holders – but it was a sad attempt. Most of the path runs down the side return, so it is north-west facing, but it’s also sliced between two buildings so it’s light. It’s very much a shaft, but it’s a warm, sheltered one.
Last year, I had an inspired moment with a wrecking bar and chisel, and liberated pockets of the patio below to find rich, dark earth. If you want to hide your sins, the quickest solution would be a virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia. The variety ‘Guy’s Garnet’ from Crûg Farm Plants in Wales turns a statement postbox red in autumn, even in deep shade.
I could go for the self-clinging Hydrangea anomala ssp anomala or the slightly slimmer-leaved ssp. petirolaris, both with lacy white flowers in summer that are loved by bees and are tough as old boots, so good for an exposed position. However, it is such a good plant that I already have one, and two might be too much frill. Again, Crûg Farm Plants is the place to visit as it has all sorts of interesting varieties collected from Japan and Korea.
A number of roses would climb or ramble given a little tying in, and although they might not bloom with the profusion of a sunnier spot, they’d hold their own. ‘Albéric Barbier’ (creamy lemon), ‘Albertine’ (salmon pink) or ‘New Dawn’ (pearl pink double) all froth in a delicious old-fashioned manner.
If I were more patient, I’d fan train a morello cherry, one of the few edible choices that thrives on a north-facing position. But I am impatient and demanding; I want something fast and evergreen.
One option could be honeysuckle, such as Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’, with its trumpets of deliciously scented cream and yellow flowers that appear in July and keep going right into September. It can ramble up to eight metres and will do so fairly fast, but it’s easy enough to keep in bounds, just prune it back after flowering.
However, I have a soft spot for something that seems perhaps a little unexpected. You’d imagine that star jasmine, Trachelospermum jasminoides, would want full sun, but it will cope in part shade as long as it’s sheltered. Cold, drying winds kill it off. It’s evergreen, the foliage often tinting a lovely bronze in autumn, and fast growing, but not rampant. The flowers are some of the headiest scented I know. It is used in perfume and incense, so something to open the window for when washing up.
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