Planting Around your Pergola

We’re not just talking about Sitting Spiritually pergolas here, although of course we hope that would be your pergola of choice!

Most people will want want to grow a climber or two to tumble over their pergola, not just because it will look spectacularly  beautiful, but it will also provide shade, & scent, depending on what you choose.

Climbers will need support, and certainly a leg-up until they can drape themselves around the legs and top of the pergola without much help.

Some twining climbers like honeysuckle, clematis montana and akebia quinata can be lightly bound to a post with twine, quickly winding themselves to the top. They are immensely vigorous and pruning is needed to keep them in check once established & some tying it will be necessary but this is easily done.

Sitting Spiritually are very happy to recommend, for tying in annual climbers,  the excellent Garden Twine made by fellow West Country Company Twool which comes in some extremely pretty colours.

Annual climbers such as climbing nasturtium, sweet peas and cup and saucer vine are cheap and fun and will allow the elegance of the pergola to remain visible, but they do need a little support.

Or you may like to consider instead, a woody perennial climber such as a rose (see the photo of the Sitting Spiritually pergola below with the rampant Rosa Kiftsgate doing a splendid job) a wisteria or a vine, ornamental or edible. Although wisteria flowers in mid-May and thus too early to readily sit under in a cold spring, nothing looks lovelier, with the added bonus of its sublime scent, and you could always add a blanket and a hot drink to enjoy it to its full.

Climbing or rambling roses could be tied in with discreet wires, or again use the Twool twine as mentioned above . Choose your varieties with care as you do not want to be whipped across the eyes by a new prickly stray growth if it is viciously thorny, so  consider the rich pink Zephirine Drouhin, which has barely any thorns at all. Once roses have been established for a season or two, you could add some clematis viticella which will climb up the roses, of which the clear lilac blue Mrs Betty Corning and the deepest purple Black Prince are stunning. These colours are not found naturally in the world of roses, so will contrast nicely with every kind.  An excellent source for climbing roses is David Austin Roses  who we cannot recommend highly enough, and they are also incredibly helpful should you call them for advice.

So we hope we've fuelled you with ideas and we're always happy to discuss the options with you, just give us a call.