Plans for the wall (and plant identification help!)
I’ve decided that I want to make the wall that’s behind the house a bit more interesting. Especially because that’s where the entrance door is.
The planting is already great, but I want a somewhat more refined feel- in the Florentine taste. So I’ve decided to go with iron trellis. Three panels in the shape of arches:
I’ve already ordered them. Haven’t decided what to grow on them yet, but perhaps jasmine on the two outer ones and something more colourful in the middle. And definitely evergreen because the wall is bare in winter.
Later maybe a pair of sculptures or large urns in terracotta. Something like this:
I very much miss how polished the last house was. Anywhere you turned your head you saw a tableau. Balanced, thought through and well maintained.
Anyway, does anyone know what this plant is. I thought it was rhubarb, but I’m told it isn’t:
My Mazamet 
I have a big brick wall I and some brick arches I want to grow something on and haven’t decided what, yet. Something to attract humming birds, preferably. But then, like you, it’s an entryway so I want something evergreen.
That plant looks a bit like some type of Acanthus.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with Ruth, it’s like an acanthus, but you will have to be patient & wait until it flowers to be certain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with the other commenters here. The plant looks like an acanthus. I’d be surprised if it isn’t. Also, it could be a man-eating, Hungarian hosta with fanged flowers, but, that’s highly unlikely as I just made that up.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I think Acanthus too. As for jasmine….its problem is that it clumps at the top, so you end up with all the growth above and rather bare stems below. The star jasmine is better, but is vigorous here in Melbourne. What about clematis? Although they may be deciduous…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Is that true for all varieties of jasmine? We have trachelospermum (star) on the far corners of the house- but it’s nowhere near as fragrant as regular jasmine.
LikeLike
I’d go for clematis (how do you folks pronounce this word. I say it “CLI-matis”?)
definitely not rhubarb. I’ve grown up with that and I love it cooked as a desert.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I’m going to concur with the others & say that plant is an acanthus. Love the terra cotta pieces.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely not rhubarb. We have a clump of them in a corner of the backyard (and thanks to everyone else for putting a name to it).
When it flowers if looks great, but then the spikes die back and it looks like a mess. In order to bring it back we carefully prune and pamper it and it eventually comes back green and healthy.
Ok, some of that was a lie. It does look crap when the spikes die off, then it gets run over by the lawnmower to remove it from sight, soon enough it grows back looking like the blades of death never happened. I’m not going to recommend you do that with yours, just in case it is a different plant altogether, but maybe just attack a single obscured plant with the mower and see what happens.
I think your trellis will look lovely too, something with a nice fragrance like jasmine would be great there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You could try clematis armandii on your trellis. Evergreen, spring flowering,fragrant. You could shove a passion flower in the same spot to take over flowering duties later in the year, or solanum crispum. Just keep them tidy.
I think it is an acanthus too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Would they survive bright shade in the winter?
LikeLike
The first two were fine with me in similar circumstances but – being to the north of you – the solanum took a lot of winter care.
LikeLike
Gah! I have that plant in my garden, I think. Does it have thick, fleshy tubors for roots? If it is, it’s an evergreen and provides great bulk planting but can also steal a lot of moisture from any plants near it. Sorry, can’t for the life of me remember it’s name.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Should have read the other comments first – yes, some kind of acanthus. 🙂
LikeLike
I can’t help with identifying plants. Not my strength.
LikeLike
I’m not understanding. Will you kill off all the vines that are growing on the wall now, then starting with a bare wall decorate it?
LikeLike
No! The ivy is staying. I’m just going to trim it back where the arches will be. The arches are 2.5 inches away from the wall so I can get behind them.
LikeLike