I'm looking for something to cover a bare brick northern wall. My garden is tiny, about 3m x 3m.
It's a tricky spot and ivy is probably the easiest option. It doesn't have to be plain, ordinary ivy: you could go for variegation or an interesting leaf shape, such as Hedera helix 'Sagittifolia'. You may be tempted by Boston ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata 'Veitchii', which has large green leaves that turn purple and red in autumn, but it is far too vigorous for your space. Another option is Pyracantha, varieties such as 'Watereri' (red berries), 'Orange Glow' (orange berries) or Pyracantha rogersiana (best for shaded walls). Pyracantha has small white flowers in early summer on a backdrop of glossy leaves, and by autumn is covered in berries. It is good for bees and doesn't mind being pruned hard, so you can train it to truly stick to the wall.
Finally, you could go with Hydrangea anomala subsp petiolaris. It is self-clinging and, once established, won't mind hard pruning to keep it as close to the wall as you can. It will stick out but the foliage and flowers are very attractive.
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