Which climber?

[WillowKnicks]

I am totally clueless with regards to gardening, so have no idea where to start!

I want some sort of climber on the front of our house, which is North East facing. We have a gravel drive, right up to the house, so will have to go in a pot, with a trellis fixed to the wall...is that possible?

I don't want anything like ivy, that will damage the masonry & something that doesn't look dead at some point of the year.

It is a very large area & the faster growing, the better!

Help...please!!!

[meditrina]

Being in a pot can severely limit how far something grows. Is there no possibility if creating a bed?

I have a honeysuckle in a pot - they're usually low maintenance, but to get it growing and flowering well you need to cosset ones in pots. That said, mine has survived but it's much smaller than I hoped it would grow.

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

I agree with meditrina. There's a trade-off between having something in a pot and having something that will cover a large space, especially if you want it to do so quickly.

How about a climbing rose or (if you really want something big) a rambling rose?

[pogglebonkgeoff]

Climbing hydrangea does well in the shade, I'm not sure it would like a pot though.

[Phalenopsis]

What is under the gravel? Is it concrete or is it soil? I ask because there are some wonderful climbers which will cover a house front quickly but aren't suitable for pots. Clematis montana for example, comes in some lovely varieties (different colours and some are scented) but they're not suitable for pots. Most large climbers aren't and given that you want something that will cover the house quickly, it will mean that the plant will grow quickly and you'll need to repot it regularly before it outgrows its pot and potentially tips over with the weight.

If you can't put anything in the ground in any way, I'd stick to small climbers with a bit of trellis which can look lovely.