Hello,

and thank you for taking the time to read a stranger's gardening self inflicted struggle. I am new to this forum, so please excuse any intricacies I am not aware of. I've studied and researched this issue a lot, and all I am finding is conflicting information. Now, to the gardening issue:

My Zone: 9a. My garden is in Northern Greece. I experience generally mild winters (although frosts are not uncommon) and heated summers (~40 C)

I've got a corner with north and west facing walls. My home is situated to the direction of my west facing wall. There's an old olive tree planted there in a small bed, that has grown a lot. The west facing wall is the entrance of my home: a small one person gate, with a fence to a 2 steps stair, into the garden, to a ~6-8 meters long pathway with my garden beds (as you enter, facing west, as the aforementioned wall) left (a big one) and right (a small one with the olive tree and a simple shrub).

As you can understand, my north facing wall gets no sunlight at all, and my west facing one does the same. Nevertheless, I want something potted in that corner just behind my olive tree, something that will give that corner just a little pop of colour and vividness. On that corner, my mailbox also hangs from my west facing wall's fence.

I've decided to put a trumpet vine on that fence, and care for it so it does not get out of control. The fence itself gets some sunlight but the pot itself will not. On the same pot (more than 70 liters) I want to have another climber that will get itself on some wooden investment I have on the wall. My question is:

Will a Clematis vine flower in full shade like the one I am describing in a 9a zone?

If you could post a picture of the planting area you describe, that would be very helpful. Only if you can train it upwards so that the top of the vine gets up into the sun, will the clematis bloom. But most clematis will not bloom well, if at all with no sun.

It sounds to me like the spot you're planning for the trumpet vine would be perfect for the clematis. They love their tops to be in the sun and base in the shade. You might want to reconsider, and plant the clematis there instead. Trumpet vines are extremely vigorous and you're going to have a big job pruning it to keep it from engulfing your olive tree.

The clematis would be much more controllable.

Here it is! Thank you! Didn't think of posting a picture instead of going into describing. As you're viewing the picture, the sun goes up on the right side. I'm standing to the direction of my home entrance. Note that the wood is to be hanged from the fence and is not yet fully done.

If I do plant the Clematis instead of the trumpet vine there, what do I do with the trumpet vine though?

If I may, let me ask question about what you are trying to accomplish? I mean, are you trying to hide a wall or decorate it? Do you want flowers or would good foliage be nice?

Thank you for your interest! I mainly want to light up the corner for when I am inside, and also get something on that fence to be seen from the outside. My plan is/was to have the trumpet vine around the mailbox there, and something else than an English Ivy on the wood that is to be hanged from the inside.

And yes, definitely flowers.

Thank you again!

Well, part depends on how well you control the space. But lets say you do. There are several good vine options like Boston Ivy, Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans), and Euonymus 'Emerald Gaiety' that do well in shade. Its just that they can be a bit invasive if you are not careful.

I'm just not sure if either the trumpet vine or the clematis is going to give you flowers in that much shade. Is there any way you can thin out the tree over the area by pruning it a bit?

My trumpet vine on a west fence blooms where it gets sun, but the fence runs beside a huge mango tree, and it doesn't bloom at all where it's in the shade of the tree.

Bottom line, most plants need at least some sun to bloom.