Easy Climbers For A Wow Factor: Which Climbers To Grow & Where To Plant Them

Climbers can really transform your garden or balcony. They add height and interest and can be grown anywhere. But finding a climber for a particular spot can be a daunting challenge, and the adage ‘location, location, location’ couldn’t be more relevant. Is it going to be in full sun? Against a wall with poor soil? Does it need to cover an unsightly object or perhaps climb a balcony, pergola or obelisk? Rosebie Morton, founder of The Real Flower Company, shares her top tips on which climbers to grow and where to plant them.

Rosebie Morton’s July Gardening Guide 2026

Star Jasmine

Often, the obvious spot for a climber is beside a front door, so something with scent is a natural choice. I always recommend trachelospermum, commonly called ‘star jasmine’. It is undemanding and easy to grow. Its vigorous, glossy green leaves produce a mass of heavily star-like, scented flowers throughout summer, turning a lovely reddy-bronze colour in autumn. Grow in either the ground or a pot, in full sun or dappled shade.

Roses

People often make the mistake of planting a climber too close to a wall or hedge. This soil is often poor, dry and gets very hot, which stresses the plant, causing it to develop diseases like mildew. Instead, plant climbers half a metre away from a boundary. As for what to plant, roses are always a popular choice and I tend to plant a clematis next to them for double the interest. When deciding on a rose, ‘compassion’ is always a great choice. Being both beautiful and disease resistant, it’s very easy and reliable, and is a striking salmon pink colour. Another top pick is ‘the generous gardener’; with pale pink blooms and a strong fragrance, they are much loved by bees and pollinators. ‘Dortmund’, meanwhile, is a vigorous, single-flowered, crimson rose, with an eye-catching white centre – very undemanding and ideal for pillars and fences.

Clematis

Certain clematis share similar requirements to roses, so opt for the ones which flower mid-summer onwards (group three), such as floriferous ‘Polish Spirit’, ‘Blue Angel’, ‘Jackmanii’, ‘President’ or ‘Madame Julia Correvon’. Clematis enjoy their roots in shade, and flowers in full sun. Prune with the roses in the spring to make your life straightforward.

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is another undemanding climber and a very popular choice for pollinators. Lonicera periclymenum or ‘Graham Thomas’ has clusters of white, heavily scented flowers which age to yellow. Followed by this are berries, which the birds love. Many Honeysuckles are vigorous enough to cover sheds and walls, but can easily be kept in check if required.

Passion Flowers

‘Passion flowers’, or passiflora, sound very exotic but are easy to grow. Vigorous or semi-evergreen varieties have fascinating, intricate blooms all summer, but do buy a hardy variety, unless you are planning on planting in a conservatory. Choose the outstanding white ‘Constance Elliot’ or the more normal ‘Blue Caerulea’ – both will cover fences, walls and grow through trees.

Virginia Creeper

For semi-shaded areas, a parthenocissus henryana, ‘Virginia Creeper’, is a great plant. Drought-tolerant and capable of coping with both sun and shade, it has bright, shiny green leaves that turn a spectacular rosy red in the autumn. Equally, hydrangea anomala sub petiolaris is another easy climber for shady areas, producing eye-catching white florets and beautiful leaves.

Magnolia Grandiflora

A very different but magnificent, evergreen climber is ‘Magnolia Grandiflora’. I grew up with one on the side of our house and will never forget the scent emitted from the huge blooms in mid-summer and the very large, shiny, dark, leathery leaves. This shrub should be grown in a sheltered spot as a standalone. It’s a dramatic climber, very slow growing, but well worth the wait if you have the space and the patience.