Plants Growing Up Side of House Without Damaging Your Home

If you're looking to add some greenery to the side of your house without damaging your home, you're in luck. Plants growing up the side of your house can be a beautiful and unique way to enhance your outdoor space.

To ensure your plants grow up the side of your house without damaging it, consider the type of siding you have. For example, if you have vinyl siding, it's generally easier to drill into than brick or stucco siding.

Some plants are better suited for growing up the side of a house than others. For instance, climbing plants like ivy and clematis are great options because they have a strong root system that can hold their own weight.

Make sure to choose plants that are suitable for your climate and level of sunlight. This will help prevent damage to your home's exterior and ensure the health and well-being of your plants.

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Choosing the right plants for your garden can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to selecting plants that will grow up the side of your house. Consider the amount of sunlight your garden receives, as some plants thrive in full sun while others prefer partial shade.

For a south-facing front garden, hummocks of clipped lavender work well, and can be contrasted with taller plants like alliums or verbascum. These plants are easy to train and will add a touch of elegance to your garden.

If you have a shady front garden, clipped box (Buxus sempervirens) or bay tree standards with hart's tongue ferns are great options, creating different shapes and textures that will add visual interest to your garden.

When selecting climbing plants, beware of those like Clematis montana and Virginia creeper that will quickly rampage up and over everything. Instead, opt for classic countryhouse choices like climbing roses and wisteria, or for urban spaces, Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine) which is one of the easiest climbers, happy in sun or semi-shade.

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To train your climbers, use a wire and vineeye system, screwing the vine-eyes into the masonry to create a system of taut wires, either vertical or horizontal, and about 45cm apart. For smaller climbers like clematis, screw a wooden trellis to the wall.

Consider the type of structure you're using for your vines, as some plants climb in different ways. For example, wisteria and clematis attach by twisting their tendrils around a support, whereas English ivy grows aerial roots that can attach to rough surfaces like walls.

Here are some popular climbing plants to consider:

Creeping vines can provide natural privacy for your garden or yard by covering walls, fences or trellises with lush foliage and sometimes colorful flowers. They come in a variety of types, including fast-growing varieties like the Virginia Creeper, known for its vibrant fall foliage.

These vines can be a great alternative to trees and shrubs for creating a living barrier within your yard. Keven Graham, an American Society of Landscape Architects principal and landscape architect, recommends vines for tight or narrow spaces like side yards or near a spa.

Vines can also work well as camouflage for areas you might want to hide or simply give a softer look. Draping a chain-link or metal fence with a selection of blossoming vines can bring a more natural look to a very industrial piece in your yard.

To choose the right vine for your garden, consider how it climbs. Some vines, like wisteria and clematis, attach by twisting their tendrils around a support, while others, like English ivy, grow aerial roots that can attach to rough surfaces like walls.

Here are some popular types of creeping vines to consider for the side of your house:

Climbing hydrangea is a great option for shady areas, as it can tolerate a variety of growing conditions and is easily trained.

It's a vigorous grower that's covered in large clusters of showy, lacy, white flowers in late spring and early summer.

For a more colorful option, consider bougainvillea, which can be trained up and over balustrades to enjoy its gorgeous flowers up close.

Bougainvillea is a trouble-free vine that will flower profusely even if you don't prune it, but it's hardy only in zone 9.

If you're looking for a vine that's a bit more low-maintenance, kiwi vine is a good choice, with fragrant flowers and pretty variegation.

It's an unconventional choice, but it's definitely worth considering, especially if you have a trellis or other support system in place.

For a more traditional option, consider climbing roses, which require a tad more upkeep but are a beautiful, fragrant addition to any garden space.

They need support, such as a trellis, to climb, but they're definitely worth the extra effort.

Here are some popular vines for wall training:

These vines are all great options for adding some color and interest to the side of your house, and they're relatively easy to train and maintain.

Training vines to grow up the side of your house can be a bit of a challenge, but with the right techniques, you can get them to thrive. The key is to match the support system with how the vines climb.

Some vines, like climbing hydrangea, use small aerial rootlets to cling, so they don't require much help and will climb well on their own, especially on rough surfaces like masonry. You can also use a trellis or lattice for these types of vines.

For vines that need a little more assistance, like bougainvillea and kiwi vine, you'll want to have a sturdy support with narrow 'bars' that they can wind around. This can be a trellis, lattice, or ironwork.

You can manually guide the plants around the trellis to start, gently weaving them through the support so they can grow in the right direction. If a vine is too small, you can use twist ties, garden twine, or outdoor-rated hook-and-loop fasteners to secure it to the trellis.

To keep your vine on track, you'll need to check on it periodically during the growing season to make sure it's going in the right direction. Redirect any wayward growth by weaving it into the trellis or securing it with twine.

Here are some tips for training different types of vines:

By following these tips and matching the support system with how the vines climb, you can train your vines to grow up the side of your house and enjoy the beauty and benefits they bring.

If you're planning to train a vine to grow up the side of your house, be aware that some surfaces are better left vine-free.

Homes with vinyl siding, wood siding, and wood shingles are particularly vulnerable to damage from climbing vines. The tendrils can creep underneath or between slats, causing them to pull away from the home and introducing moisture beneath the siding.

This can lead to costly repairs and maintenance down the line.

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Clematis are a great choice for a flowering vine, with large blooms that can make a stunning statement in your garden. They're available in many different varieties and colors, and their petioles wrap around the support structure, so they need narrow upright supports like heavy-duty coated wire to climb.

For a healthy and beautiful plant, watch that some varieties don't get especially strong direct sunlight because it can bleach the flowers. Also, watch for clematis wilt, a fungus that can infect the plant.

Wisteria is another popular choice, known for its bunches of light purple blooms that cascade downward from the vine. It's a fast-growing vine that can make a showpiece in many areas of the garden, and it should be given support and can be easily trained up pergolas, trellises, and posts.

Some varieties of wisteria, like 'Amethyst Falls', are non-invasive and a great choice for those looking for a show-stopping climbing vine. It's also resilient and ideal for a low-maintenance garden.

Climbing roses are a popular cutting flower, and they come in colors ranging from yellow to deep red. They use their thorns as protection and to attach and climb up things, and some might need to be tied to their supporting items in case of heavy winds.

Jasmine is a fragrant vine that does well in sunny locations that aren't very dry. It produces white flowers that can attract both hummingbirds and butterflies, and it twines around objects to climb, so it needs some type of support to raise vertically.

Here are some popular vines that you might consider training up the side of your house:

Keep in mind that some vines, like English ivy and wintercreeper, can be invasive and damage your home's surface. Be sure to read the labels and look for the botanical name to be sure about what you're buying.