How to cover marks on brickwork.?

Question

My house is south facing and I need to cover some unsigtly streeks on brickwork that will not come out. the area I need to cover is only about 5 feet by 2 feet. this can be climbing or trailing. I would like this aspect ( plant ) to be evergreen, proberbly some type of Ivy or maybe a mix of 2 plants. something attractive all year round. It will need to be on a wall mounted container hopefully no more than about 18" long 6" wide and 10" deep, these sizes are approxamate.

Answer 1

I'd avoid Ivy like the plague, its puts suckers into the brickwork and will just add to the mess if you ever change your mind and want to remove it.
You might be better off making some decorative trellis and grow the plants up that. Make the slats close together and stain them blue or green. Or try a bamboo, willow or fern screen, attach that to a frame on the wall and grow sweet peas or something up it in summer. I've seen these in the gardening section of supermarkets.
The biggest problem is that you want to use a small wall mounted container on a south facing wall, its going to get the full sun in this weather and that could cook the plant roots. Treat it like a hanging basket and add plenty of water retaining granules and vermiculite to the compost, you'll still have to water every day in the summer. You'll also have to provide protection against frost in the winter; you can line the empty pot with bubble wrap or the stuff you use to line hanging baskets.
This isn't a very deep container for a large plant, it wont be able to get its roots down like it would if it were grown in soil, and bigger plants have bigger rootballs.
Don't attempt honeysuckle, you can get evergreen varieties but they like to have their roots in the shade. Miniature conifers or juniper might do it but they might look daft growing halfway up a wall.
I'd borrow a plant book from the library, you can see pictures of the full grown plants and it'll give you all the growing details.

Answer 2

Passion flower is easy to grow and will not cause the damage ivy can. Tendrals can grow over a lattice of wire that you can easily install in minutes.

Answer 3

you would have no problem whatsoever if your name was peter the gardener, but alas fate has dealt you a cruel, crushing blow. imagine alan titchmarsh on butchers world dishing out advice on where to cut and quality of meat, and when asked at school by career's advice person what you wanted to be, did you answer 'a butcher' and just think of the grief you could have saved yourself if you'd went down the horticultural path.

Answer 4

Try a variagated ivy, they need more light than regular ivy so south facing would be spot on.