The vertical dimension is an often forgotten about aspect that has almost limitless potential. Just think of the vast amount of vertical space taken up by walls, fences and buildings in the average town - it probably greatly exceeds all parks and other green open spaces! The use of climbers and the creation of 'green walls' are ideal for those with limited space - anyone with a planting tub and a wall can create a vertical garden.

The use of climbers are also highly suitable on commercial developments in central city and restricted locations where extensive green landscaping may not be acheivable. Furthermore, the installation of green walls can enable developments to achieve BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes credits for addressing ecology in new development. Whilst it is fine for high-end architectural statements on central London developments, a 'green wall' does not have to consistute hydroponics systems, pre-formed plastic modular growing panels, a wide range of exotic succulents with largely unproven benefits for wildlife, and costly annual maintenance....the use of simple climbers over the centuries is proven!

Climbers can provide an important habitat for insects and spiders, bats and nesting birds. Green walls have other benefits; aside from their aesthetic qualities, green walls can reduce external noise pollution entering a building and provide shading.

We would love to see a network of green walls across the built environment. All our climbers are organically and sustainably grown and delivered with our unique planting guide.

Although it can be grown as a free standing shrub, the native honeysuckle or woodbine is best grown around support, such as tree, hedging, wires or wooden trellis. It climbs by twinning stems spirally around support in a clockwise direction. The stems can grow very thickly, and take on a raffi, rope like appearance. Honeysuckle has strongly scented flowers, typically white to yellow, which are pollinated at dusk by long-tongued hawk moths, and is therefore also a super plant for bats, who feed on the moths. In autumn it produces clusters of fruits that can vary in colour from red to dark purple or black, and is very attractive to warblers, thrushes and bullfinches.

Sold in a 3 litre pot.

£5.49

The native hop is a relatively fast growing climber found in hedgerows, woodlands and scub across southern England. It climbs by twinning its rough stems clockwise around other hedgerow plants, and even up stay-wires of telegraph poles. Light green male flowers are small, in lax clusters, whilst female flowers (usually on separate plants) have large pale-green bracts. Tumbling sprays of catkin-like fruits are very attractive - in cultivated hops they dried in kilns (oast houses) and used to give a bitter taste to beer. Young shoots are said to be very good to eat, with butter, like asparagus. Hop is a secondary food plant of several attractive butterflies, including peacock, red admiral, and comma.

Sold in a 3 litre pot.

£5.49

A non-native, but a very effective and beautiful climber, reaching heights of 20 to 30 metres making it suitable for larger houses and commercial properties. It does not need support, but climbs surfaces using forked tendrils with adhesive pads, which do not harm masonry. Virginia Creeper is excellent for shading wall surfaces, and for noise insulation; furthermore it is an excellent wildlife plant, it's dense foliage is attractive to a range of nesting birds including robin, wren and blackbird, whilst the small purple-black berries are devoured. Each autumn also sees a spectacular display of deep-red leaves.

Sold in a 3 litre pot.

£5.49

A beautiful sprawling wild rose commonly found in hedgerows and woodland, dog rose provides an abundance of attractive white to pale pink flowers in June. In autumn it bears a mass of glossy red egg-shaped hips - a highly nutritious 'super food'. As well as a hedgerow plant, dog rose works equally well as a speciman climbing rose which can be trained over a trelis or wire framework. Will grow to 2-3 metres in height.

Sold in a 3 litre pot.

£5.49