Garden Arbor Climbing Plants: 4 Whimsical Plants For A Cottage Garden

Hello friends! Today I will be sharing how I chose the perfect climbing plant for my new garden arbor!

Recently on YouTube, I shared a few garage sale finds for my aunt’s cabin. While I was looking through an estate sale, an old, but beautiful white arbor covered in vines caught my eye. I asked the owners if they would be willing to sell it to me, and to my shock and delight, they told me I could have it! I saw the potential the shabby arbor had with the right climbing plants!

The arbor definitely needed some cleaning up, but, as an added bonus, the previous owners were kind enough to dig it up and deliver it to my house for me – all free of charge! I was so thrilled as garden arches, arbors and trellis archways can easily go for hundreds of dollars as new products at home improvement stores. Don’t sleep on garage sales – I always find the best deals this way!

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted some kind of archway or trellising in my yard. They are such beautiful focal points of a cottage garden, and walking underneath an arbor covered in gorgeous climbing plants is the kind of grand entrance to my garden that I dreamed of.

As I stated previously, the arbor had been sitting unattended in a garden and needed a deep cleaning. My husband Mike power washed it, as well as removed some old wooden boards that the former owners had nailed onto the arbor to keep it more stable. After my husband got the arbor cleaned up, he installed it in our yard, and man do I love how it turned out! You can watch our June thrifty outdoor projects to see the final result.

After installing the arbor, I knew I wanted to plant climbing plants around it as soon as possible. There is something so whimsical about an arbor fully enveloped in lush foliage! However, I knew little about climbing plants and really wasn’t sure which plant would be the best option for my new arbor. I decided to do a little research and asked my subscribers for their opinions as well on the best climbing plants to choose!

Climbing Roses

The first plant that I initially thought of were climbing roses! I had many who suggested roses as well. Is there anything more classic than a rose? I love white flowers, and the beautiful blooms of white rose buds hanging over you as you walk into a garden was calling my name haha

However, as beautiful as roses are, they do require a little more upkeep than other climbing plants. Climbing roses prefer full sun, their stems need pruning, and they attract more common pests and unwanted insects than any other flower. They also need mulch to keep roots moist and protect their roots during harsh winters and can be slow growing.

Climbing Honeysuckle

My next thought was the trumpet vine honeysuckle! Honeysuckle’s trumpet-shaped flowers come in plenty of shades from lemon yellow to red-orange. They can thrive in partial shade, and their delicious scent attracts plenty of wildlife and pollinators like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds!

You do need to be careful which kind of honeysuckle plant you choose! Invasive species such as Japanese honeysuckle is fast-growing and can quickly overcome your garden.

Climbing Hydrangea

You all know how much I love my hydrangeas, as I have several endless summer hydrangeas planted in front of my home! It’s large, beautiful clusters of pink, purple and white flowers make the patience it takes to establish the plant all worth it in the end.

Unfortunately, hydrangea does take a few years to establish, so if you are impatient like me, this may not be the option for you haha. Their leaves also fall during the winter, and they can damage wood and paint.

Clematis

Finally we have clematis, hardy, perennials that come in many different varieties and colors. Clematis is fast growing and their tendrils have a self-clinging ability. I love that some varieties of clematis are evergreen and will not lose their leaves in the winter, and that they require very little attention!

They love full sun, but some kinds do well in partial shade. A tip I was given is that the roots should be kept shaded and moist, as they are sensitive to heat. They have spectacular blooms that can reach up to 10 inches wide! Much like honeysuckle, clematis also attracts a lot of pollinators as well, as they have a wonderful scent.

These were my top four choices when deciding which climbing plants were the best option for my new arbor:

1. Climbing Roses
2. Climbing Honeysuckle
3. Climbing Hydrangea
4. Clematis

I hope this post was helpful to you if you are also trying to decide which climbing plant is the best option for your garden. It can be a little overwhelming trying to decide with so many options! I love my garden, but I wouldn’t say I have the best green thumb. I knew right away I would need a plant that wasn’t very high maintenance, which I why I ultimately, I decided to go with clematis!

Clematis was probably the top suggestion I had from my subscribers as well. It seems to be the most resilient and easiest of the climbing plants to care for. I purchased a clematis plant from a local greenhouse and planted it next to my arbor.

Thankfully my arbor gets full sun, but I will have to figure out a way to keep the roots moist and shaded. If you have any helpful suggestions on how to keep the roots protected and well cared for, please let me know in the comments below!

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