Round the Back

The back of our house is shaded by a steep bank on top of which someone planted forest trees, spruce and birch, nearly forty years ago.  

Something had to be done to cheer up the wall of the house,  an expanse of dull brown pebbledash. Not many climbers appreciate shade.  I knew from bitter experience that a Virginia creeper wouldn't colour up well without sunshine on it.  So when I came across this one, Parthenocissus henryana (I don't know if it has an English name) it seemed too good to be true.  It claimed to colour better on a shady wall.

And it has turned out to be a winner. It has spread out well, but not too well; it loses its leaves in winter and is easy to keep under control, and it does colour up beautifully.  It's just beginning to turn now.