This climber is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: fast-growing
• Flowering period: June to September
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  This popular perennial climber is smothered in showy sprays of scarlet flowers from June to September, set against a backdrop of grey-green leaves. A fast grower, it looks lovely scrambling over a sunny wall or through an evergreen shrub, although initially it needs to be tied onto supports. Unlike the annual sweet pea, it comes back year after year, but sadly, the flowers are not scented.
  
  
• Garden care: Incorporate lots of well-rotted organic matter in the planting hole. Pinch out the shoot tips to encourage bushy growth and tie in new shoots to a support. Cut back the plant to ground level in early spring.