The Art of the Living Wall

Climbing plants have always been an obsession of mine. I vividly remember buying my first plant in my early teens - a grapevine, which I planted on what was previously an ugly and bare fence line. Within four years, this fence became one of the lush centrepieces of our garden. By year five the grapevine had engulfed the fence almost entirely, giving year-round colour and character to what was once our garden’s biggest eyesore. Summertime showcased fresh lime green leaves followed by a deepening of colour to darker green in the later summer accompanied by droves and droves of grapes. Autumn brought fiery shades of red and orange followed by the winter shed which revealed strong networks of branches with unique, artistic bark which is so characteristic of grapevines. Years later, I decided it was time to transform our north facing, large brick wall into a ‘living’ wall. Inspired by the Ivy League universities I saw during my travels in the United States with their humungous walls covered with lush climbers, I was intent on creating the same thing for our wall. Likewise, seeing stone and brick walls in both urban and rural Europe covered with a large variety of different climbers from Hydrangea petiolaris, clematis to Boston ivy, this only deepened my interest in creating living walls.

In 2017 I planted a Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) at the base of our hot, bare north facing brick wall. Nine years later, it is the main centrepiece of our garden. Tightly trimmed every few weeks through the summer months, it covers our wall entirely and has greatly elevated the aesthetic of the area and added a lush vibrancy and character with a dazzling display of colours through each season. I was fascinated to learn years ago that different varieties of climbers were used to cover homes and cottages in medieval Europe to provide natural insulation to homes and shelter from cold and heat extremes. Centuries later, such climbers are now used to add prestige and character to the most beautiful structures and gardens around the world. So, in both practicality and aesthetics, a living wall can be a strong addition to your garden.

 Interestingly, ‘living’ walls are few and far between in Canberra. For that matter, I haven’t seen many at all in the rest of temperate Australia. The most notable living wall I can think of is the glorious Boston ivy which covers Canberra Grammar school in Red Hill. With careful plant selection and awareness of planting positioning, sunlight and adequate care, there is no reason why a living wall can’t be successfully achieved here.

Understanding Sunlight & Positioning

The most successful living walls and fences I have cultivated — both for clients and in my own garden — have usually been in a north-facing aspect. In Canberra terms, this means plentiful sunlight, warmth and full exposure to the elements. For a vast range of climbers, these conditions provide an ideal environment for vigorous growth and strong seasonal colour. 

This is not to say climbers cannot thrive in shadier south-facing locations. Many certainly can. However, the selection pool becomes smaller and often requires more thoughtful positioning and care in order to achieve the same lush effect.

 If the climber seedling you are planting is still quite small, it will naturally be more vulnerable to frost and harsh weather conditions during its establishment phase. When planting during the colder months — often recommended for deciduous climbers — it is worth keeping a close eye on overnight temperatures during the first few months in the ground. If temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing, placing an old pillowcase, frost cloth or cotton bag over the seedling overnight can help protect delicate new growth from frost damage.

 Walls, fences and paved surfaces can radiate significant amounts of heat throughout summer, particularly in north and west-facing aspects. While many climbers thrive in these warmer conditions, some softer or shade-loving varieties may struggle if exposed to excessive reflected heat during the peak of summer.

Canberra’s strong winds and sudden cold changes can be particularly harsh on young climbers during their establishment period. Providing some initial shelter and ensuring the plant is securely tied to its support structure will help encourage stronger, healthier growth over time.

Like most plants, climbers will reward good soil preparation. Before planting, incorporate a deep application of quality compost and organic matter into the soil to improve drainage, moisture retention and overall soil health. Healthy soil during the establishment phase will often determine how vigorously and successfully a climber develops in the years ahead.

Maintenance & Long-Term Care

With my Boston Ivy, I ensured I was well aware of the maintenance requirements before planting it. For vigorous self-clinging climbers like Boston Ivy, pruning for density usually isn’t necessary. It forms dense lush coverage perfectly fine on its own with very little assistance. Simply keeping it trimmed to the wall area or fence you want the climber to conform to is the higher priority. During the summer months, particularly early summer and late summer when our Boston Ivy has its most growth surges, we remain diligent in trimming any growth back from our windows and from our roof gutters, maintaining a tight, trim and neat appearance. Likewise, I have seen Chinese Wisteria put on up to 8 metres of aggressive growth in a single season. Rambling roses such as Banksia rose can also be incredibly demanding to keep under control. With fast growth comes great responsibility and all vigorous, deciduous climbers should be kept in check accordingly with frequent trimming. For slower growing evergreen climbers like creeping fig, climbing hydrangea or star jasmine, they like to behave themselves a lot more than the climbers mentioned above and have much more moderate growth rates, entailing less frequent maintenance requirements.

 Due to Canberra’s largely poor soil conditions (aside from select pockets of old established suburbs in inner Belconnen or central Canberra) and dry and hot summers, deep and frequent watering is crucial in the early stages as your climber matures and takes root in its position. While its root system is still developing and unable to extract moisture from deeper areas in the soil, regular deep watering is necessary. Once the plant has firmly established itself, after a few years, such regular watering is less necessary. Our Boston Ivy now receives one or two deep waterings per week which is generally more than sufficient. Inversely, softer, shade loving climbers such as climbing hydrangea and most varieties of Clematis which are accustomed to milder summers require diligent watering even when mature and often require shady, cool conditions at their base with a clear pathway upwards to grow up towards the light - simulating the forest conditions that they naturally thrive in.

While most climbers are not especially fussy feeders once mature, regular fertilising during the establishment phase will greatly improve growth speed, foliage density and overall health. I personally prefer regular applications of liquid Seasol and organic compost over excessive use of strong synthetic fertilisers, which can sometimes encourage overly soft, vulnerable growth.

 Equally important as watering is keeping the bases of your climbers generously mulched to keep moisture locked into the soil profile and suppress surrounding weeds that could compete with their root systems.