Planting wall shrubs

[Pannacotta]

I have a couple of shrubs I want to train as wall shrubs, Abelia and Robinia hispida, but I'm not sure how close to the wall they should be planted.

I know it's often quite dry next to a wall (and limited space for roots to spread) so books often say to plant eg 50-60cm out, but does this make it hard to train plants flat against the wall surface?

[GrendelsMum]

No, honestly - do it like the books say. I'm always failing to do this, and always regretting it. Just think of how big they're going to get - 60cm is absolutely nothing once the shrub / climber gets going. I think that the reason so many of my inherited shrubs by walls are sad is that they've all been planted much too close.

[Pannacotta]

Thanks GrendelsMum, will do as I am told!