Any idea of what I can grow up an arch?

[glallotments]

My plot neighbour has made an archway that crosses the path between our plots. He wants me to decide what to grow up it?

Has anyone any suggestions?

It would be good if it produced something edible. My first thought is a grapevine but would one fruit in West Yorkshire on a clay soil? Has anyone any experience of growing a vine in this sort of location? I'd really want a dessert variety rather than one for wine making.

[Johnboy]

Hi Glallotments,
Although this is only seasonable you could try growing a Butternut Squash or any of the other trailing squashes. Only a thought mind.
JB.

[PLUMPUDDING]

My Yorkshire grapes - 2 Madeleine Angevine vines - grow well on an arbour and managed to ripen by October last year. I even got 1 bottle of wine out of them. They are just starting their third year, so only babies still. You would need to train them and make sure you know how to prune them properly to get much fruit, and put them in good, well drained soil. They only fruit on this year's new growth.

Painted lady runner beans look attractive, and I sometimes grow them together with morning glory or sweet peas for a bit of extra colour.

[ken]

If you'd like a long term solution, I think you could grow pears, trained as cordons, over the arch. One from each side, I would think - and you could choose two varieties that would pollinate each other. I think cordon-trained apples would work similarly. Or, if you wanted to be decorative, clematis. For a seasonal solution, how about climbing French beans, such as Cobra? Allthe best, Ken

[Beryl]

I grow a thornless blackberry over an arch. One plant either side gives a huge crop of berries. Loganberry or Tayberry would do just as well.
In fact most fruit could be trained over an arch. apples, pears plums cherries etc.

Beryl.