The ‘best’ of anything is very subjective. And it can also be very vague. Especially when applied to climbing plants. Are we talking about the ‘best’ as in what looks the best? Or which grows quickest? Or is it the easiest to nurture and maintain? Or maybe which are the best climbing plants for the UK climate?

Now, having muddied the waters somewhat let me try to be a little clearer. For the purposes of this article let's consider which is the best all-rounder. The climbing plants which will make the biggest impact, for whatever reason, when planted in your garden. But, of course, we do need to circle back and accept that what follows is purely my opinion.

Whether you agree with my choices or not, hopefully you will discover a climbing plant you haven’t come across before or you may just get some inspiration on how to cover an unsightly fence or enhance that new arbour.

So, without further ado here’s my personal list of the best climbing plants for your garden. And as I promised something inspirational and different, how about we start with…

Vitis Boskoop Glory

Which sounds amazing and is actually a black grape vine. Many of us are still getting our heads around the fact that grapes can not only be planted but successfully grown and harvested in the UK. The British wine industry is going from strength to strength and while I’m not suggesting you set up a vineyard a grape vine will make an unusual and very attractive addition to your garden. As well as a great talking point.

Boskoop Glory is a black grape which is very sweet and the plant is very hardy. It can also be grown in the greenhouse or polytunnel and is a wonderful climber that produces green foliage in spring which turns red and orange in the autumn. It also produces lots of lovely grapes too.

Japanese honeysuckle

A very familiar plant to many of us the honeysuckle is a perennial favourite. Honeysuckle just conjures up images of an English country garden and it’s one of those plants that everyone knows.

This variety is a very vigorous climber and can grow as high as 25 feet once fully mature. If you want to quickly screen a fence this plant is a great option. But Japanese honeysuckle also looks great meandering up a trellis or around a tree.

Japanese honeysuckle will tolerate most soils, is fully hardy and can be planted just about anywhere. Semi-evergreen it produces those wonderful tubular flowers which are brilliant white before turning a golden yellow to create a two-tone effect. The plant will flower from early spring right through autumn and will be the centre of attention in any garden.

Clematis Voluceau

I had to include a clematis. One of the all-time favourites there can’t be many keen gardeners who don’t have a clematis growing in at least one corner of the garden. This variety, Voluceau, is a fast and feisty climber and is very easy to grow. Which is always a bonus.

I’ve included this plant in my list of the best climbing plants not necessarily because of the speed at which it climbs but rather for the flowers it produces. Deep red and purple flowers bloom throughout summer and they do so in their multitudes. Voluceau produces a huge volume of flowers and looks amazing when in full bloom.

Virginia Creeper

It may sound like something out of a horror movie but the Virginia Creeper is an old favourite which is ideally suited to the British climate. Very hardy it can be planted either in full sun or shade which makes it a very versatile climber. You can more or less pop it anywhere and it will quickly climb to cover a shed wall, fence or side of a building. Its leaves are a glossy green which turn a wonderful red in autumn. The Virginia Creeper is very fast growing which makes it a perfect choice if you’re in a hurry to see results.

Solanum Jasminoides

A less well-known variety of climbing plant, Jasminoides nevertheless fully deserves its place on the list. A very fast grower, it will look wonderful in any garden. It’s equally at home in the ground or a container and can be trained to grow up a wall or trellis with great results. It will quickly spread so is ideal for covering large areas quickly. Jasminoides produces masses of lovely white flowers which will make it an attractive addition to any garden.

So that’s my personal list of the best climbing plants. I hope you may be inspired to try at least one or two and give them a home in your garden. Of course, there are many more to choose from and you can see our full selection here. If you need any more information on our climbing plants feel free to drop us an email to sales@directplants.co.uk