A tale of two climbers
Even in a small, overcrowded, garden there's always room for more climbers. As long, that is, as they are non rampant. Two I've added in recent years certainly fit the bill.
First is Bomarea edulis:
Related to and often described as a climbing Alstroemeria this is a half hardy deciduous plant, producing yearly growth trails from small tubers that can be easily overwintered under a protective mulch or even lifted and started afresh in spring each year.
The red and yellow bell flowers dangle in clusters at the end of the twining growth trails. With me they start in August, brightening up a short section of my west rear garden wall. I've clad this in a bamboo framework, where the Bomarea shares space with winter flowering Jasminium nudiflorum, a relic from a previous planting in the area and the later summer flowering Clematis florida var. sieboldiana 'Viennetta'.
Reminiscent of a passion flower with its central violet boss this is certainly not vigorous but manages to produce annual trails of growth that twine through the bamboo supports and produce the glorious, very tropical looking flowers.
I think it would like a bit more summer warmth than my Plymouth garden can provide but even a few flowers brighten the space.
Mind you, I think there's room for another climber in there. A spring Clematis perhaps.
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