Climber tying in in Exmouth

### Why Bother Tying In?

**Because climbers don't climb on their own.** Not properly, anyway.

Some cling (ivy, hydrangea petiolaris), some twine (honeysuckle, jasmine), but most need actual help to grow where you want them. Left alone, they sag, blow about, flower poorly, and snap in Devon's winter winds.

Properly tied climbers look fuller, flower better, and actually cover your fence/wall/trellis instead of growing in a tangled mess at the bottom.

> 💡 **Pro tip:** Tie climbers in a fan or horizontal pattern rather than straight up. You get way more flowers because the plant produces blooms along horizontal stems, not just at the tips.

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### What Good Tying Looks Like

| ✅ Done Right | ❌ Left to Chance | |--------------|-------------------| | Stems spread evenly across support | All growth concentrated in one area | | Tied loosely with soft material | Wire cutting into stems | | Growing where you want it | Growing sideways into next door's garden | | Flowers distributed across the plant | Flowers only at the top |

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### What I'll Do

**🔧 Assessment First**

| What I Check | Why It Matters | |--------------|----------------| | **Support structure** | Trellis loose? Wires sagging? Fix before tying | | **Plant health** | Dead wood needs removing first | | **Growth direction** | Where do you actually want it to go? | | **Tie condition** | Old ties strangling stems get replaced |

**🌿 The Tying Process** - Dead/damaged stems removed - Main stems spread out for even coverage - Each stem tied with soft garden ties - Ties loose enough for growth, tight enough to support - Growing tips pointed in the right direction

**📦 You're Left With** - Climber looking intentional, not chaotic - Better flowering potential (horizontal stems = more blooms) - Reduced wind damage risk - Clear view of what you've actually got growing

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### Common Exmouth Garden Scenarios

**Roses climbing on trellis?** These need tying in several times during growing season. Main stems go horizontal for maximum flowering, new growth gets directed into gaps.

**Clematis on wires?** Gentle tying - stems are brittle. Spread growth evenly so you don't get bare patches.

**Jasmine taking over the fence?** Needs containing as much as supporting. I'll tie what you want to keep and suggest trimming what's going rogue.

**Honeysuckle growing through itself?** Untangle the mess, remove weak growth, tie remaining stems in a logical pattern.

**Wisteria on house wall?** Heavy plant, needs secure tying. Also needs to be kept away from gutters, windows, roof tiles - I'll make sure it's going where it should.

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### Pricing

| Job Size | Estimated Time | You'll Pay | |----------|----------------|------------| | Single small climber | 1 hr | **£60** | | Large or neglected climber | 1.5-2 hrs | **£85-£110** | | Multiple plants | 2-3 hrs | **£110-£160** |

*Based on £60 minimum (first hour) + £50/hr after. More if the plant's been totally ignored for years and needs serious work.*

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### Perfect For Your Garden If...

✅ **Your climber's growing sideways** - instead of covering the trellis you bought

✅ **Stems keep snapping in wind** - they need support, not just hope

✅ **Flowers only appear at the very top** - horizontal tying spreads blooms

✅ **It's a tangled mess** - untangling and proper tying makes a shocking difference