Kiwi or clematis for my pergola

[rosieposey]

I can't make up my mind. I'm a bit worried about wasps with the fruit but I lve the plant - clematis is so pretty but I wonder how long it takes to grow? Complete gardening novice here - the pergola gets around 4 hours of sun a day.

What do you wise gardening types out there think - could I have both or is just greedy? Soil is rubbley and crap as it's a new build so an unfussy plant would be an advantage:)

You can have both but neither will particularly like rubbley rubbish soil. Mind a complete blank as to what would like rubbly crap soil. Anyway, clematis would need something OK soilwise so improve the soil - dig out the rubble, add compost, top up with topsoil if necessary.

Kiwi need a sun and warmth to ripen = 4 hours on a pergola may not be enough. How far south do you live?

You could run several clematis at the same time - if you choose carefully you could have one flowering for most of the year. Try this website for inspiration
www.clematisplants.co.uk/clematis-plant-catalogue.htm . Some of them grow huge and many grow like weeds so you will get flowers this year.

Traditional choice for a pergola is wisteria: but it can be slow to get going and does need careful pruning to get a good structure.

My mum has a 10 year old wisteria that doesn't flower and I have read they are temperamental love them though but i know They are slow growing. I'm at the top of the SW in wilts so maybe not ad hot as devon - when my dad was alive he grew a huge kiwi along a fence but his lived in east Devon so that probably helped. Will look at your site for clematis andaybe plant a few types after improving the soil.

Sorry for typos - iPhone!

clematis are lovely
sweet peas are super easy to grow though if your soil is crap and they look lovely up a trellis

I have this one and it's beautiful. I moved it this year and it's still coming back really well.

Sweet peas are gorgeous and i will be putting some in to grow up a trellis DH is going to put on our fence, wow that clematis is lovely - does yours grow quite fast?

I have no idea when it comes to gardening im afraid, was going to do all potted plants and hanging baskets this year but having had some decking and pergola installed last weekend im desperate to plant something in the ground and see it grow up the pergola!

yes it grows very quickly now, although I don't think it did the first year