I need a fail-safe, foolproof climber - any suggestions?

[IHeartKingThistle]

It's to climb a pillar to the side of my front door which has trellis up it.

It sits in a flower bed but the bit just under the pillar is quite shallow due to the foundations for the pillar. I can dig down a foot maybe but that's it. It's sunny there in the afternoon.

Tried more than one clematis. They died. Tried a pyracantha which also promptly died, and I thought they grew anywhere! One year I did manage to keep some sweet peas alive there but I was hoping for something that lasts a bit longer; they were nice though. When I tried them again the following year the snails got them.

Any suggestions?

This is awesome. Ok so I'm going to get a pot, take the bottom off, dig compost into the soil below, fill it with compost and put in a fairly small evergreen honeysuckle, then water it at least until it gets established.

Then I'm going to stand back.

If this one dies I'll be back!

I love honeysuckle but you might end up with lots of bees buzzing round your front door.

DS hates bees. I love bees. Argh.

Ceonothus, or climbing hydrangea.

Ds will learn to love the bees. Or eventually move out. Honeysuckle will be comforting you in your dotage.

I have a honeysuckle in a large but shallow pot ... about a foot deep. I hardly ever feed it and it’s been on the go for years. It’s ideal for having next to a door... you’ll get a waft of lovely fragrance every time you pass it

Grainne