Adding a real explosion of color to your terrace, balcony or garden is now possible: focus on climbers! These plant species guarantee a spectacular visual effect: just think of luxuriant ivy leaves, or the delicate hues of wisteria and jasmine. Combined with supports for climbing plants, they can perform a variety of different functions. For instance, besides decorating otherwise bare walls, climbers help create relaxation areas, isolating them from prying eyes and sheltered from the sun.
How to choose the kind of outdoor climbing plants that suit one’s own needs best? It’s not just a question of taste. It is crucial to take into account the kind of support of ornamental climbing plants, necessary to make them grow. Some of them, like ivy, are rather autonomous and just cling to the walls by themselves, while others – wisteria for example – wind around vertical supports like fences or simply around a tree trunk. Others, like winter jasmine, need to rely on robust frames that enable them to grow upward thanks to the plant’s thorns or spiky hooks. Let’s discover together which one of our top 5 climbers you like best.
Let’s begin with one of the toughest ones: ivy, the most common and well-known evergreen climber since it grows both in sunny spots and in shade, adapting itself to a variety of different climates. It blossoms in autumn, and it is extremely easy to grow besides being incredibly decorative.
Passiflora or passionflower, widely used in herbal medicine, belongs to the family of perennial climbers and is extremely easy to grow. There are several species, some of them delicate, others that are able to resist the harshest winter. The beautiful flowers that embellish its thin stems embody its distinctive feature: a complex structure about 10cm wide, with rosy-white petals and blue or velvet filaments. Its fruits feature a distinctly fresh, citrusy flavor.
Let’s continue with jasmine, a robust species that needs minimum care. With its unmistakable fragrance, jasmine is perfect both as a climber for the balcony and as in the form of a bush for the garden. It blooms for many months and it can grow as high as 6 m above the ground. Its thick green stems help conceal unsightly walls, and, above all, isolate space from unwanted attention.
Sticking to the subject of flowering climbers, wisteria is a plant with a unique charm. Its characteristic bunches of lilac-blue, gemlike petals are an intoxicating sight, also because of their intense, exotic fragrance. It blossoms in spring and it can climb as high as 20 m above the ground. A romantic, pure English-style view.
Let’s conclude our excursus on our favorite climbers with bougainvillea, an evergreen species of Latin American origin, extremely draught-resistant and therefore most suitable for south-facing balconies and terraces. Brightly colored leaves called bracts surround its small, cream-colored flowers, creating a cheerful, lively effect that lightens up the whole place: no wonder they commonly symbolize passion and a hearty welcome.
In apertura: Climbers are a perfect way of adding color and brightness to outdoor areas. From evergreens to seasonal plants, let yourself get inspired by our 5 top favorites. Do not be frightened: none of them requires a green thumb!
