PlantSowGrow
How to plant and care for Honeysuckle (Graham Thomas)
Lonicera periclymenum 'Graham Thomas'
A vigorous climber with creamy-yellow, deliciously scented flowers all summer, especially in the evening. Moths and bees love it.
When to plant and care for it
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
Growing Honeysuckle (Graham Thomas): what it needs
- Light
- Part shade · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Water well until established, then in dry spells
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained soil
- Spacing
- 1.5 m
- Height
- 4–7 m
- In pots
- Grows well in containers
- Feeding
- Balanced feed in spring
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 4–9
Step by step
- On planting day
Plant
Plant 30 cm away from the wall or fence, leaning the stems towards it on canes. Tie them to wires or a trellis as they grow.
- 0–1 days after “Plant”
Water In Well
Give a full can of water, then keep moist for the first few weeks while roots establish.
- 7–14 days after “Water In Well”
Mulch Around the Base
Spread 5 cm of compost or bark around the plant, keeping it off the stems.
Every year
- MarchSpring Mulch
Mulch the roots with compost — honeysuckle likes its feet cool and its head in the sun.
- MayTie In New Shoots
Tie in new shoots to the support and remove any that go the wrong way.
- JulyIn Flower
Peak flowering and scent — a good time for a photo.
- AugustPrune After Flowering
Cut back flowered shoots by a third to keep it tidy. Every few years, cut out some of the oldest stems.
