I want to buy a wisteria to have at the front of the house as a climber

[NewEraNewMindset]

The front if the house is sunny. I plan on lifting a paving slab and planting it into the soil. The soil is generally clay but out the front it seems softer. I won't know until I lift the slab though and start digging.

Any advice on the variety I should go for. The hardier the better as I'm not the most proficient gardener.

Thank you

No advice but I'd like to do that too!

If you have to lift a slab, is the rest of the garden paved over? If so, you'll be hard put to grow a wisteria; it can't survive on the rain it would catch in the area of a slab. When we grew one, it was in a narrow bed, and the rest of the small front garden was big pebbles, to the wisteria could get the rain.

You will need a stout frame to grow it on and will need to be on the ball to stop it racing away up the house. And into your windows. Follow the rule for pruning it to the letter, or else you'll get all leaves and fewer flowers.

We've just had one planted - in full sun but in soil. It has some wire set up to grow around.

We know it'll need a lot of work. Our neighbours have one out back on our shared fence. It's beautiful,mouth a hardy bugger that grows despite much sun. It grabs onto our guttering and dh cuts it regularly.

Someone has one down the road, it's glorious, but very well maintained. We have a small inner London garden, so not that much maintainance, so dhs gardening bug can be focused on the wisteria .

The person who 'did' our front garden (paving stones relaid and drain levelled, turf laid in a very small space) didn't recommend it as he says it is difficult to maintain and causes problems to the house. However, if we find it too unruly, well I guess we can pull it out.

Dh and I were deliriously happy with the wisteria, we stood out the front of our house with its new lawn, lavender trees and wisteria - I could have cried with happiness .

Oooh lavender - I want pots full of lavender next summer. I love the stuff.

OK, maybe if wisteria goes mad, then I'll try honeysuckle.

We have honeysuckle on the shared fence also on the opposite side to the wisteria . It's lovely, but it is also pretty wild. IN fact,it seems bushier than the wisteria (perhaps that is only how it looks on our side), but it rises a good metre above the trellis (great, gives us privacy). I'd almost say the wisteria is a better choice??

I'm considering planting snowdrops or alternating white and purple tulips between our little lavender bushes. Just a couple of months ago, our front -car park-- garden, was paved and full of weeds!

I'm resenting the coming winter so much! Now I have a little time on my hands, I want to plant stuff :)

Neighbour has a huge wisteria, planted in concrete and the area [entrance to house] is north east facing. The plant is around 20 feet tall and about 30 feet long.

Hester - now is the busiest time for planting - overwintering onions, garlics, the remains of winter cabbages, pak choi, winter lettuces, broad beans, some hardy peas, and all your fruit plants blackcurrants, redcurrants, apples, cherries etc etc etc can all go in.

Thanks Funky.

I don't have that much room and no beds, just pots (and no experience whatsoever!) so I was thinking pretty flowers initially!

Wisteria is lovely and tough as old boots so you really do need to learn how to train and prune it before you let it loose on your house. Buy one in flower already so you can check it for colour and scent and that you won't have to wait 10 years for it to flower.

Have a look at a new variety called Amethyst Falls, which flowers twice each year. We have one in a large, tall pot and it's doing well so far.