Greening a Gazebo or Veranda: Climbers, Containers and Scent

A gazebo or veranda wrapped in greenery and flowers is a favourite summer retreat: cooler, cosier and full of scent. Here is which plants to choose for vertical greening, how to dress a veranda with containers and what to plant nearby to make evenings especially pleasant. Roses for arches and fences are covered in climbing roses.

Flowers for garden and veranda: potted plants and spray roses.

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Climbing plants

• Clematis offers large flowers in every shade; it likes its “head in the sun, feet in the shade”, so shade the base with low plants or mulch.
• Climbing roses are a classic for arches and gazebos; they need sun and a support to tie the stems to.
• Virginia creeper is an easy climber that quickly covers walls and turns crimson in autumn.
• Honeysuckle has fragrant flowers that smell strongest in the evening.
• Hops grow very fast but can spread by rhizomes.
• Annuals such as morning glory, sweet pea, nasturtium and thunbergia green up a new gazebo in its first season.

More on climbers in “Climbing plants for the garden”.

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Containers for the veranda

• Hanging baskets of trailing petunias, calibrachoa, bacopa or ivy decorate the veranda from above.
• Large containers of pelargoniums, verbena, begonias or grasses mark the entrance and corners.
• For a shady veranda choose fuchsias, begonias, busy lizzies and ferns.
• In summer, houseplants that enjoy fresh air can move out onto the veranda: citrus, bottlebrush and oleander.

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A fragrant corner

Plant scented flowers near your seat: lavender, mock orange, roses, night-scented stock and flowering tobacco, the last two releasing their perfume in the evening. Pots of mint, lemon balm and basil on the table add freshness; whether they help against mosquitoes is covered in “Mosquito-repelling plants”.

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Care

• Put up sturdy supports in advance: mature climbers are heavy.
• Water containers and baskets daily in summer, twice a day in hot spells.
• Feed flowering plants every 1–2 weeks.
• In autumn prune perennial climbers and protect them if needed; clear away annuals.

For easy-care garden ideas see “Low-maintenance garden”, and for shrubs “Ornamental shrubs for the garden”.

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FAQ

Which climber grows fastest?

Among annuals, morning glory and scarlet runner beans; among perennials, Virginia creeper and hops.

What can I plant by a shady gazebo?

Virginia creeper, ivy and some clematis, with fuchsias, begonias and busy lizzies in containers.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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