Enhance Those Displays Even Further!
If you’re like us, nothing beats the charm and drama that climbing plants bring to a garden. But the real magic happens when you choose the right companions to grow alongside them.
Companion plants don’t just fill space; they add texture, colour, scent, and help create a healthy, thriving ecosystem. Whether you’re aiming for a soft, romantic feel or a bold architectural statement, planting thoughtfully can elevate your climbers from good to absolutely stunning.
Plus, with the right plant partners, you can extend your garden’s seasonal interest, attract pollinators, and even keep pesky pests at bay.
Why You Should Grow Climbing Plants
Climbers are brilliant garden heroes. They turn blank walls, fences, and trellises into lush vertical displays packed with flowers, fragrance, and greenery. They maximise growing space, which is especially handy for smaller gardens or patios.
Many climbing plants are long-flowering or evergreen, keeping your garden looking lively for months on end. Some, like honeysuckle or jasmine, offer delightful scents that carry through the evening. Plus, climbers are fantastic for wildlife, providing nectar, shelter, and homes for bees, butterflies, and birds.
In short, they bring life, colour, and even a bit of drama to your outdoor spaces.
Best Spaces for Climbing Plants in Your Garden
Climbers thrive where they have support and sunlight. Think fences, walls, pergolas, or arbors. South or west-facing spots often work best, as many climbers love a good dose of sun.
But some, like ivy or certain clematis varieties, can handle shade nicely, making them perfect for those tricky garden corners.
Don’t forget pots and containers either, as lots of climbers do brilliantly in large pots on patios or balconies, giving you vertical interest even without garden soil. Whatever your space, there’s a climber that will make it sing.
Climbers You Could Consider Growing
At YouGarden, we have a fantastic range of climbers to suit all gardens. Clematis are a classic choice, with thousands of varieties offering a stunning palette of colours and flowering times.
Climbing roses bring romance and fragrance, ideal for walls or pergolas. Honeysuckle is not just beautiful but also a magnet for pollinators. Ivy, evergreen and hardy, is brilliant for year-round greenery and shelter. Jasmine adds heady scent and delicate flowers, while passion flowers bring exotic flair and intrigue.
Each has its own charm, and mixing these can create a layered and lively vertical garden.
Perennials Are Excellent Companions
Perennials with contrasting textures are the perfect partners for climbers. Think of hostas with their bold, lush leaves, ferns with their delicate fronds, and ornamental grasses that add movement and softness at the base.
These plants provide visual balance and keep the soil cooler and moister, benefiting the roots of your climbers. Their foliage fills in around the bottom, creating a lush carpet that complements the vertical drama overhead.
Bulbs and Spring-Flowering Plants
Don’t overlook bulbs for early colour and cheer before your climbers start to steal the show. Crocuses, daffodils, tulips, and alliums bring bright, uplifting bursts of colour in late winter and early spring.
Planting these bulbs in groups near your climbing plants means your garden has interest from the very start of the growing season, bridging the gap until the climbers bloom.
Shrubs and Herbaceous Plants
Shrubs and herbaceous plants like lavender, salvia, and heuchera add more than just colour. Their fragrant blooms and foliage attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, helping your climbers thrive by encouraging a healthy garden environment. They also offer variety in height and form, adding layers to your garden design and extending flowering times for a longer season of interest.