Honeysuckle is not only beautiful to look at, but it also smells wonderful. The sweetly scented flowers attract bees and butterflies into your garden.
Did you know.....There are about 180 species of honeysuckle.
Step by step guide to growing honeysuckle
Prepare your site
Most honeysuckle plants thrive in full sun, although they do prefer to have their roots in the shade. Choose a spot which has good drainage, but also retains some moisture in the soil.
When to plant honeysuckle
The best time to plant honeysuckle is in early Spring, when the threat of late frosts are over.
How to plant honeysuckle
Dig over the chosen site and plant the honeysuckle into a hole big enough to accommodate its roots. Place a good handful of broken flower pots or rubble into the hole before planting, as this helps with drainage. Plants should be placed approximately 3ft apart. Fill in the hole and firm down. Place a layer of mulch around the base of the plant as this helps to retain moisture and helps to shade the roots at the same time. As honeysuckle plants are climbers, they will need some sort of support, this can be in the form of a wooden trellis, brick wall or even over a shed roof. As long as they have something to twine themselves around, they will be happy honeysuckle plants!
Routine care of honeysuckle
Water your honeyuckle regularly, especially when first planted. Once established it will only need additional watering during the hot, dry spells of summer.
Honeysuckle plants can be fed with a fertiliser at the beginning of the growing season, and again in the middle of the blooming season.
Honeysuckle plants which are over two years old can be pruned back during late February or March. The removal of dead or weak stems is advisable as this encourages new growth.
 
Recommended varieties of honeysuckle
Lonicera brownii fuchsioides: Semi-evergreen plant with orange-scarlet flowers during August and September.
Lonicera henryi: An evergreen honeysuckle which boasts dark green leaves with reddish flowers during June.
Lonicera japonica: An evergreen plant which has creamy, fragrant flowers that turn a deeper shade on maturity. Blooms all summer long.
Lonicera japonica aureo-reticulata: An evergreen plant grown for it's foliage which has gold-netted leaves.
Lonicera japonica halliana: An evergreen honeycukle with white flowers which yellow with age. Blooms in summer.
Lonicera periclymemum: Otherwise known as Woodbine, this deciduous wild honeysuckle grows in the wild and is often found growing freely in hedgerows. Woodbine honeysuckle flowers from July through to September.
Lonicera periclymemum serotina: This deciduous honeysuckle is also known as late Dutch honeysuckle, giving reddish-purple and yellow flowers from July to September.
Did you know.....Honeysuckle flowers can be used to flavor wine, syrup, sorbet, and other sweet dishes. |
Growing Honeysuckle..... 
