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Climber suggestions
Climbers are a good way to cover walls and fences with flowers and foliage. But they aren't all demure clingers. Some are whopping great monsters, so when you have a small garden make sure you choose one that's right for you. Remember the more brownie points your chosen climber chalks up for year round interest, the better.
Two good climbers to try are:
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 Clematis 'Helsingborg'
Clematis 'Helsingborg' is a compact variety growing 1.8m to 2.4m (6ft to 8ft), with attractive dusky blue-purple flowers in April and May. It doesn't need pruning, but it's very well behaved.
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 Jasminum officinale
Jasmine has sweetly scented white flowers from mid-summer untill autumn, so it really earns its keep. But unless you prune it back each year after it stops flowering, are over it can get a bit big and loutish. It's good for covering a pergola, arch or arbour though.
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 Ivy
Ivy is frequently knocked for damaging brickwork, but this only occurs on house walls where the mortar is already a tad crumbly.
Elsewhere ivy makes a good self-clinging, leafy background that's very eco-friendly as the autumn flowers and winter berries keep lots of birds and insects happy.
Ivies are available in a huge range of leaf shapes, sizes, patterns and textures so they are very versatile.
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Russian vine
Another common name for Russian vine is mile-a-minute, and that's a conservative estimate.
It grows far too big, too fast and too ugly even for a large garden. In a small garden there wouldn't be standing room after the first season. This plant is probably worth avoiding.
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