Climbing Vines

Nothing adds drama to a garden like a flowering vine. Gardening with vines allows you to go vertical with your gardening. Supported by a trellis, arbor, fence or even the post for your mailbox, vines can soften the view, screen for privacy and visually connect the home to the garden. Because their stems are often naturally weak and flexible, gardeners and landscape professionals can easily train a vine to grow in a specific manner, thereby creating unique displays and natural structures in the landscape.

Annual vines are the easiest to start with. They last for one year and are then killed off by fall frosts. One of the best annual vines is the old-fashioned morning glory. When given the right location and allowed to grow at its own pace, nothing can be more dramatic. As its name suggests, it is an unusual flowering vine in that the flowers do close up in mid-afternoon. But the vine is in full bloom in the morning hours. The vine looks excellent on a fence, where it can be used to screen, or on a sunny bank, where it can tumble. Other favorite annual types include Moonflower, Sweet Peas, Scarlett Runner Bean and some types of Nasturtiums.

If a vine proves to be the right choice for the garden, then some serious thought might be given to perennial vines. Once planted, they will come up year after year. Of course, the queen of all perennial climbing vines is clematis. Clematis feature dramatic flowers and a climbing habit that can range from three feet to close to thirty! Other perennial vines include honeysuckle, wisteria, and trumpet vine.

Clematis...Helpful Growing Tips!

Plant placement is particularly important for clematis. They prefer soil that is slightly on the sweet side. For our naturally acidic soil that might mean adding a few handfuls of ground limestone when planting. They like soil rich in organic matter. Mulch in well.

Choose a location that insures that their roots will remain shaded while they climb for the sun. The north side of a hedge or low evergreen works fine.

While many varieties offer sensational ranges of color, deep reds and purples are often more effective in a spot offering filtered light. This will keep them color-fast, keep the soil moist and feed them regularly with either a liquid food or a 5-10-5 type fertilizer.

New plants will benefit from staking. Use a soft twine to tie stems to supports.