Re: climbers for a southeast facing pergola

At 08:19 PM 1/3/00 +0100, francisco wrote:

At 08:19 PM 1/3/00 +0100, lalimaly wrote:
 > One climber that I like and have on a south facing wall is hops.
 > I cut them down in Oct or Nov and they grow up to the top of a
 > 2 storey wall every spring and summer.

lalimaly

hops sounds like a great idea as they should provide deep shade.
I wonder whether it would take the poor soil and the heat.
where in the world are yours located?
francisco

Francisco -

I had wanted to respond to this previously, but have been too busy.  I'm 
glad to see the thread is still going.

We also grow golden hops, and it is one of my wife's favorite plants (she 
loves that chartreuse color in the garden!).  But it is a plant with some 
minor annoyances.  It comes out VERY late in the spring, not till April or 
May sometimes, after the weather has warmed up.  Then it makes very fast 
growth (as if to make up for a late start) and has to be watched daily to 
make sure it doesn't get into where we don't want it, and that it grows up 
our supports in an attractive manner.  We have it planted in a very small 
area that we look at all the time, so we like it to be in good shape.  I've 
had it climb to a similar height, usually in a month or two.  The bright 
chartreuse of the golden form gradually fades to a light green.  In the 
brightest sun, the leaves usually get a harsh yellow cast, looking rather 
scorched and browning off earlier than the rest.  In our dry heat, the 
leaves tend to get a bit crispy in general, even in the plain green leaf 
form, so I might not advocate it for full, blazing sun.  Closeby, in 
Berkeley, where they get less summer heat, this vine often grows lushy in 
full sun.  I also know a plant in one of our inland valleys which is great 
in full but bright shade, scorching immediately if it tops a roof and finds 
the sun.  We love the hops fruit as well and find it attractive left to dry 
on the vine.  When the plant is done, it is suddenly a big mess to clean 
up, dying down to the ground completely, with many crispy leaves and 
coarse, wiry stems.  The support needs to be strong enough to endure this 
difficult cleanup process.

A vine you might consider is Pandorea pandorana, the Australian Wonga-Wonga 
vine.  This is one of my favorites.  Divided (pinnate), evergreen, glossy 
leaves are attractive year 'round, often tinting a bit purplish in winter 
and early spring.  The clusters of small, pale yellow to cream flowers in 
spring can often make a great show, especially in sun.  There is also a 
newer form whose flowers are blushed with apricot-rose - one I'm hoping to 
try soon.  After it is established, it seems impervious to drought and 
revels in the heat.  It can be pruned heavily after flowering and responds 
easily with new shoots.  It is an attractive vine to be around at all times 
of the year, so it is perfect for a sitting veranda or front 
entrance.  Should be planted more.  See the web site 
(http://www.support.net/Medit-Plants/) for further information and some 
pictures (enter 'pandorea' in the search box).

Good luck with your selection!
Sean O.

Sean A. O'Hara                       sean.ohara@groupmail.com
h o r t u l u s   a p t u s          710 Jean Street
'a garden suited to its purpose'     Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
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