Adding a climbing plant to your fence can create a beautiful living perimeter around your yard or add a splash of colour to a dull fence.

These plants generally don’t damage your fence unless you fail to properly prune and maintain them, so this is a safe, fun way to create a garden which seems to burst and overflow with life at every corner.

Choosing your plants
Starting with the right plant is half the battle. When you choose your plants make sure you pay attention to the sun conditions along your fence line.

Give them support
If you have a chain link fence then you can skip this step. A wooden, vinyl, or aluminum fence won’t provide enough support to a climbing plant on its own, however. You can either add a trellis to your fence or string up a series of horizontal and vertical climbing wires for the climber to play on. You’ll need to monitor the plants throughout the growing season to make sure that the climber “takes,” however. This means that you’ll have to gently tie new shoots along the support structure as they appear. This will help your plant get the idea that it needs to use the structure. Use soft garden twine to avoid damaging the plant.

Plant carefully.
It’s important for you to avoid planting your climbers right up against the fence. Instead, you should plant them 35 centimeters away from the base of the fence. Remember to clean and stain your fence before you plant! You won’t be able to do this once your seedlings are in the ground.

Watering
When you water your climber water the base of the plant. Don’t spray the whole thing down with water. This is better for your plant. If you have a wooden fence it’s also better for your fence — the last thing you want to do is douse your fence with water all the time.