Sadly we do not have the facilities to set up our own printing factory on the nursery, as plant labels are printed by printers rather than plants-people. Therefore, while they are useful for identifying the plants, the information on them can often be incorrect. Fortunately however, we try to have as much information as possible about how to get the most from your plants on our website - and we recommend the following.... Newly planted honeysuckles should be cut back by up to two thirds in their first year in early spring. The resulting new growth can then be tied onto a frame, and then nipped back when they reach the desired height. In subsequent years (again in early spring), thin out congested stems, and prune lanky stems back to healthy buds. Every few years, you may want to renovate your plant, and you can do this by cutting it back to around 60cm above the ground. The subsequent mass of growth will need to be thinned and tied on as before. After pruning, apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted compost or manure around the base of the plant.

Helen

Hello, Loniceras are prone to powdery mildew, so it is quite common. This is made worse however if the plant does not get good air circulation around the crown, or if the roots get too dry, so if possible, I would try to tackle these issues before resorting to the chemicals.

Helen

Hello, It is possible to grow virtually anything in a pot - provided the pot is large enough, and we do have lots of climbers that might be suitable - please click on the following link to go straight to them all. http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/plcid.15/vid.274/numitems.100/ I would say however when growing anything in a pot, feeding and watering is absolutely crucial.

Helen

Hello, Honeysuckles usually produce an abundance of flowers, particularly if they are growing in a sunny spot. As for scent, the yellowish white flowered forms have the best scent.

Helen

Hello there This honeysuckle will tolerate a north facing aspect but it is a vigorous climber so not ideal to be grown in a pot. There is a more compact honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum 'Rhubarb and Custard' which can be grown in a container but it is not recommended for a north facing aspect. I have added a link below to some climbers that are suitable for north facing aspect and pots. http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.northfacing-climbers/sort.0/vid.274/ Hope this helps

Hello, If you click on the following link it will take you to a shortlist of suitable plants, however you will need a really large pot and make sure the plants are kept well fed and watered if they are to survive. http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/plcid.15/vid.4/vid.274/

helen

Hello there This is a lovely honeysuckle, but it is not always evergreen.- it can hold it's leaves in a mild winter but really it is classed as semi-evergreen. It is vigorous, but you can prune it to keep it under control and restrict it's size,-growing in a pot will limit it's growth, however I would plant it in a larger container if possible as that does sound rather small. Hope this helps

Hello Heather, Unfortunately there are no plants that will deter intruders without being difficult to deal with, and the best plants are those with thorns like the roses. It sounds like roses will certainly grow in your soil, but ideally you should dig in lots of composted organic matter and then make sure they are kept well watered in summer. It can be difficult to see a small plant and imagine how big it will grow to eventually, however we do give all this information on each plant card, which hopefully should help. You will find it just to the right of the pictures at the top of the pages. If you click on the following rose, you will see it has an eventual height and spread of 10 x 6 m http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/roses/climber-rose/rambling-roses/climbers/rosa-filipes-kiftsgate/classid.1280/ while this one will only grow to 3 x 2m http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/roses/climber-rose/climbers/climbing-roses/rosa-climbing-iceberg/classid.1181/ I would pick the one you like the look of and then you will be able to establish how many you need to fill your fence. As for the evergreens, if you click on the following link it will take you to our full range of evergreen or semi-evergreen climbers that will grow in clay soils, but the same rules apply re preparing the soil and watering. http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/plcid.15/vid.9/vid.228/ I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Hi Helen Many thanks I think we will go for the Hydrangea Regards Sue

Crocus Helpdesk

Hello Sue, The Hydrangea is really quite slow growing and you can easily cut it back if it does get too big, so if you really like it, I would be tempted to go for it. Alternatively you could opt for one of the Loniceras or a Hedera, both of which can be trimmed back if they get over-large. I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Sue Mather

Hello Roland, The best will be the Hederas, which are self-clinging like the Parthenocissus - just click on the link below to go straight to them. http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.hedera/ If however you can put up a network of wires or trellis, then you can choose from any of the following. http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/plcid.15/vid.228/ I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk