Climber that's tough and happy with shade

[NorthernLurker]

I want to plant something against a fence. It will have to hold its own with ivy though I will cut that back. Soil isn't great and it's fairly shady. I want something gutsy and gorgeous. Any ideas?

Garrya eliptica

Thanks. Not on of my favourites though I gave to say. Any other suggestions?

A climbing hydrangea?

Evergreen honeysuckle. I have several that compete with ivy and all are thriving.

Clematis armandii is supposed to be fine in shade. (I've managed to kill off 3 in a row though). I have a honeysuckle (lonicera belgica I think) and two clematis Montana which are very happy in my shady space. Not evergreen though.

I think I might try a hydrangea and a clematis. Already have a big honeysuckle and currently fighting off the aphids on that.

Hydrangea Petiolaris then. It is a wall shrub and doesn't mind shade.

Another vote for a climbing hydrangea. Ours are mostly in shade and have shot up since last year when they went in.

I've got a climbing hydrangea in a very shady corner, competing with ivy - it started to do a lot better when I got rid of some of the ivy. I've got various clematises - montana and summer flowering. Some of the deeper colours are supposed to be better in the shade as they fade less there, and of course they like cool roots. The montana I've got in the shade flowers later than the one with more sun, unsuprisingly, but I don't mind that.

Agreed Errol. Everything flowers later in my shady garden. But the flowers last longer. My Montana is making me very, very happy at the moment. Blooming it's little heart out! I think a climbing hydrangea is a great option too. They fit the 'gutsy' requirement NorthernLurker made.

I've gone for a climbing hydrangea and a clematis. I'll let you know how it goes.......

I've been coveting a climbing hydrangea since I first started looking at the garden a couple of years ago, and Monty planted one up his shady wall the other week, so I am resolved this year!

Where are you getting yours from, Northern?

We have a Chilean potato vine

www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/solanum-crispum-glasnevin/classid.1720/

growing in the area between two large apple trees and under the canopy of a neighbour's tree, so although the link says it likes sun and moist soil, I can tell you that least one grows very happily in dry shade. It flowers from now for almost 2 months and is very pretty.

That is pretty. I got the hydrangea from a local garden centre.

Does a climbing hydrangea need a trellis, or does it cling on to a wall without one? I'm thinking of planting one in a shady spot against the house.

It clings, if its in contact with the wall. Mine needed a bit of encouragement not to grow forwards and flop away, shoved it back with angled canes.

Aahhh yes, I remember Monty planting his with angled canes now. I was trying to remember if he had trellis on the wall but didn't think he did. Thank you!

If you have no joy, you could give this a whirl
www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/akebia-quinata/classid.225/

Glad to hear angles canes are the correct way to do it, I was just improvising! I checked mine this afternoon and shoved another bit back to the wall.