Planting ideas for east facing wall & border

[clarabellski]

Hi everyone

I'm hoping to tap into some ideas for an east facing wall and border. The width is approx 5 metres. The depth of the border will be approximately 60cm (2ft) once we've reshaped it (it is currently 30cm(1ft) and contains a couple of drab bushes that we're going to dig up.

My plan this year is to improve the soil and to erect trellissing onto the wall in preparation for planting over the course of 2018 at whatever time is ideal for the particular plant in question.

I love white flower accompanying green foilage and would like some suggestions for climbers and border plants that will tolerate the east facing position (so only getting sun in the earlier part of the day).

Some plants I already love and would like to include are snow drops, white foxglove, hellebores, astrantia and star jasmine. What other plants/varieties would you recommend?

Also, can anyone advise on the likely spread of any climbers that are recommended (so I can plan how many I'd need to plant to cover the 5metre width wallspace)?

thanks so much!!!

Climbing hydrangea would be lovely, evergreen with large white heads of flowers. It could eventually fill your space, but it is easily managed and pruned. A very tolerant plant. Jasmine would also be lovely, clematis don't mind east facing, but will grow towards prevailing sun.
A white climbing rose, again tolerates pruning to keep in control.
White versions of cranesbill geraniums would look lovely and are long flowering.
You can fill gaps in the summer with white bedding plants, such as the small begonias wich are very tolerant of partial sun.

Thanks JT!

Silly question re the climbing hydrangea,I take it there are varieties bred to be white all the time? Our other (non-climbing) hydrangea changes colour depending on the soil. It is very blue this year having been blue/pink mix last year.

Also - are you saying that one plant would eventually climb to fill the entire space, with pruning? Wow...

Just googled the cranesbill suggestion - that is right up my street in terms of what I'm looking for, cheers!

The only climbing ones I've seen are white, other people might know different. It would take a long time to cover the space, but at the rate mine grows I expect one could do it! I prune it each year and it's about 2 m x 2m, but I need to keep it that size.

As well as the above, I recommend Dicentra, which is available in white and pink. Japanese anemones would also be very happy in that kind of location.

Philadelphus, exochorda and Gypsophilla are my favourite white flowers. Underplanted with Ammi Majus and Cosmos purity. For ground cover the white flowering thyme. For contrast, if you want it black Ajuja, black grasses and gentian. black and deep blue really make the whites zing.