3. Twining climbing plants
In the same way as clingers, these can get out of hand, but you don't have to climb up to bring them back to earth. Just cut through major stems at a low level and let them put out new shoots from there.
Plants such as honeysuckle, clematis, wisteria, vines and hop all twine their stems or tendrils around supports, but not all are suitable for a house wall.
Honeysuckle and some forms of clematis make very bushy growth with thick woody stems, soon becoming ugly unless pruned correctly. Let these ramble over a pergola or porch instead.
Many clematis are very suitable for house walls though, including the large-flowered hybrids which limit themselves to 8-15ft in height - far more manageable than the 20-40ft of many of the smaller flowered species (recognisable by their two Latin names).
Pruning clematis is easy. Those flowering from late spring to early summer needn't be pruned; those flowering from mid-summer onwards (ie on growth produced in spring) should be pruned to within 3ft of the ground in late winter. Those clematis labelled dual-purpose can be left alone for early flowering, or pruned in late winter to delay flowering until late summer.
Decorative grape vines (Vitis) are also a possibility if you have a lot of wall to cover. They give good autumn colour and, if the summer is hot, bunches of grapes too. The Russian vine (Polygonum baldschuanicum) is best avoided though, unless you really want something that grows 20ft per year, every year, with no idea of when to stop.
Wisteria is another plant that doesn't know when to stop, but its spectacular flowers in May make up for this failing. Plant this where you've enough wall to do justice to it, but only if you are prepared to prune twice a year. Not any old pruning - but careful shortening of side shoots (leaving 2-3 buds) in late winter and, in summer, cutting back of leafy shoots (to 4-6 leaves) immediately after flowering. Otherwise you'll have a leafy curtain hiding the beautiful flowers.
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