Best and quickest evergreen climber

[TerraNotSoFirma]

We are just starting to plan our garden and we have a 6ft fence to be put up.
What I would like to do is grow something evergreen all over it (as fast as possible)and have little fairy lights through it as it will be right beside the (eventual) patio.

What would you recommend that would cover the fence but not have too much depth so that I can weave the lights through it?

If anyone has any recommendations for lights also, I'm thinking solar powered?

Ahem Digerd I linked to it upthread!

I doubt that it would be strong enough or safe to use the netting for lights as a trellis!

OP could fix trellis to the fence, & then fix the lighting net to the trellis, sis? that would work (I think...)

Trellis and plant first.

Light net attached to top of trellis only so you can lift it and tie in the climber as it grows.

That way you have a twinkly fence this year and a twinkly plant next, when its grown.

Also you can disintangle the lights if they break.

Led solar lights are much better than old fairy lights, but not guaranteed atitude proof

Clematis armandii much easier to establish IME than Trachelospermum which can be VERY slow and is also quite tender.
The clematis would be better at supporting the lights too.

That said, the clematis is pretty rampant so may be too big for your fence.
Have a look here for other ideas
www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/clematis-evergreen-clematis/

What direction does your fence face? WHat is your soil like?

There are other climbers which woudl work too but it does depend on amount of sun.

Hydrangea seemanii is evergreen and flowers in summer. It self clings and can be pruned easily so might be better. Grows in sun or shade.

www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/hydrangea-seemanii/classid.3991/

ooh, love that plant finder!

Oh, sorry sis and my spelling was wrong too.

My varigated one is planted in the ground against side of my shed door.
It is now growing through the shed and slits in the doorway, but die off inside. Doesn't bloom so profusely as the green one.

Neighbour did have an Armandi on the fence facing south - beautiful perfume early in the year. I think it died in the 2010 winter as no longer there.

What have you done posting that link to the plant finder??? .... weren't MN and Pinterest bad enough for spending hours on the net??

The net of lights would not be strong enough for a climber and would be hidden behind the climber so you couldn't see them. It sounds a lovely idea but can't see how it would work as all climbers grow bushier every year and taller. The fast growing ones that you want will grow much higher than a 6 ' very quickly and soon become a nightmare.

DD had a clematis montana which was like a jungle and hung over the fence to the neighbours - it was hacked down by the builders when neighbours had a large extension built. It did look glorious when in flower, though

6' fence

startail that's genius :)
So that's the plan for the lights and trellis sorted.
The fence will face west, am not sure what kind of soil it is, there is grass there at the moment you see.

digerd could I just trim it into submission?

Clematis montana isnt evergreen though...

And any of the climbers I mentioned would be fine with west facing.

You don't have to restrict yourself to just one climber. You could choose an evergreen for background and have a pretty clematis for flowers (e.g. one of the ones you cut back every year).

I love clematis for their flowers, but do find that a fence with just a clematis on it tends to look a bit messy. Maybe I'm just too lazy to train them properly...

a combination of ivy & a deciduous flowering climber might work - but not montana, or not alone, it only flowers May-ish. You could maybe combine spring- & summer-slowering clematis? or clematis & something else?

\link{http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/3428.shtml\this English Ivy page from the BBC suggests}

'being evergreen, it is perfect for covering pergola poles, or creating a leafy backdrop under clematis and climbing roses that provides winter interest'

oooh, look at \link{http://www.vanmeuwen.com/flowers/flower-plants/climbing-plants/clematis-collection/V16339VM\these!}

I love that last link ponders

me too, Terra

English Ivy flowers!!? mine never has!

Yes, it flowers when it 'thinks' it has got to its highest point, and then you get it covered in flowers, followed by black berries which birds love ( and blackbirde like to nest in dense ivy. It will NOT harm a tree unless it covers the 'crown' - we keep our trimmed (ie limit its height)so it does not get that high. it is great for threading other climbers through as it provides a dense green backdrop when the deciduous plants are hibernating.

We have a rambling rose, Alberic Barbier I think, by our patio, on an east-facing fence. I cut it right back to a few sticks early last year, just after we moved in, and this year it has covered the fence again and is flowering beautifully. It has lovely shiny evergreen leaves and flowers June/July.

I have planted a Polish Spirit clematis to grow through it for flowers later in the year, and that seems to be doing fine.

You need to cut ramblers back each year, or they get tangled but I love Alberic:

www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/rosa-albric-barbier/classid.1272/

Oooh! thanks MrsSalvo

Ivy is a pest on fences, IME. I planted two variegated ivied to cover a fence and wish I hadn't; if I had put fairy lights there, they would have been swamped.

Have you considered honeysuckle? Grows fast and smells divine.

Anything that grows fast gets BIG ime.
Hydrangea Petiolaris grew up the back of our house, must have been 4-5 metres high and getting in the gutters. But it did grow fast! Deciduous though.
So maybe grow several climbing roses or several clematis but not particularly large ones as regular trimming and pruning could mean you risk snipping the lights.

Have just seen a big thing growing at the back of the garden, through some ivy :-) at first I thought it was a rose, but since have never had any luck with all the climbing roses I have planted, was bemused. Luckily there was a label lying near its main root 'hesperis matronalis albiflora'. No idea when I planted it, but it is about 2m in height, several branches hundreds of sweet smelling Flowers, basically looks and smells like a rose, and best of all, hinders of little buds waiting to open. It was 'facing my neighbour's garden - have bent the fronds back to face mine...