Kitchen Garden Forum

I've got a new pergola – gets sun for about six hours a day – and would like to plant something to climb up it. I've already planted a Brant grapevine but think another fruiting something would be nice. Considered kiwi, but having looked through old posts, it seems they're unlikely to set fruit so not sure that would be worth it. Does anyone have any ingenious suggestions?

You could plant a white grape, for variety. Or a thornless loganberry. Or a compact blackberry, like Waldo.
Or an espalier fruit along the sides of the pergola, e.g. a plum or greengage, or a pear.
Or how about a trailing squash, like Uchiki Kuri or a small black one, like Gemstone? These are very decorative, but only annuals, so if you didn't like them, you could try something else the following year.
Alison.

thanks Alison. Might try the squashes. What do loganberries taste like?

Loganberries look like large raspberries but are rather sharper in taste. They make the most divine loganberry jam.

I agree squashes are a good idea.
There is one i would really recommend from Italy that is traditiuonally grown on pergolas, with the fruit hanging down. They are called variously Trompetti, Trombolina, Tromba - Seeds of Italy supply them. They have the advantage of two harvests:as a courgette in summer then leave some to grow on for autumn harvest as winter pumpkins.

Pale green srtriped curly courgettes with delicious creamy flesh.
The pumpkin can grow as long as 5ft.(i've seen them in Italy, not mine but i'll be aiming for a big'un this year) Has a buff skin and flesh not a million miles off butternut.

Another suggestion would be a climbing bean a purple variety especially good against the yellow of the pumpkins would look great.

thanks, yes, I was already thinking of a purple climbing bean but the trompetto (or whatever they're called) squashes sound really good

I just checked with seeds of Italy and they do have the Tromba
http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/555
or
http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/247

not sure which are the ones i have as i bought my seeds in Italy but both of the above sound good