Creepy! But In A
Good Way
The Many Merits of Vines
Lapageria Rosea: (Chilean Bell Flower)
The national flower of Chile. A rare
vine for shaded gardens.
Aconitum hemsleyanum: (Vining Aconitum) An extremely rare ornamental
climber, closely related to Delphinium.
Clematis ‘Fireworks’: A colorful,
large-flowered vine which blooms all
summer.
Whether gracing an arbor, scrambling
through shrubberies, screening or hiding
an unsightly shed or fence, there is a vine
to suit almost every purpose in the garden.
For showy flowers, fruits (some of which
may attract birds), decorative foliage,
autumn color, and simply for strength of
growth and covering ability, people are
discovering the merits of vines.
Even if one has nearly no more room
to plant another thing in their garden,
vines can be ideal in stretching these space
limitations by requiring very little ground
space. Many vines are even suitable for
cultivating in containers.
Nowadays, the selection of vines in
nurseries and garden centers is vast, with
myriad sizes, shapes and colors from
which to choose. There are various manners in which vines climb, such as tendrils,
aerial roots, sharp or hooked thorns, leaf
stems which wrap around supports, and
even by adhesives.
Before selecting a vine for a certain
area or a particular purpose, knowing the
method in which a vine climbs is an important factor. A good example of this is:
Open fences, arbors and trellises are more
suitable for twining vines, such as Passion
Flowers, Wisteria, Jasmine and Clematis.
Masonry walls and tree trunks are better
suited to clinging vines which have aerial
roots or sticky discs, such as Ivies, English
Ivy and Climbing Hydrangeas.
Some vines become extremely large
and may not be suitable for a particular
area without constant trimming to keep
them in bounds. Good examples of this
are: Wisterias and Jasmines, both of which
are wonderful vines, yet they can become
quite large and unruly, without continu-
ous pruning and shaping.
The ideal time for planting vines is
late winter to late spring, before the heat
of summer sets in, and like most plants,
vines prefer a deep, rich and fertile soil to
perform their best.
A few suggestions of vines which you
might want to try are:
Clematis, with a vast array of colors
and sizes to choose from, they are ideal for
growing on arbors, trellises and even into
climbing roses as their supports. There are
clematis which will only grow to 6-8 feet
tall and bloom spring through fall, while
there are others which may grow to 60 feet
and only bloom in the autumn (C. terni-flora – the Sweet Autumn Clematis).
Wisteria, which may be grown on
sturdy fences and over pergolas, where
their long clusters of fragrant flowers will
hang to good effect. Chilean Bell Flower
(Lapageria rosea) is an excellent (and rare)
choice for the shaded area, where it will
brighten the garden with its waxy, colorful
blooms.
Grapes, which are excellent candidates
for growing on arbors or along fences,
offering decorative foliage, delicious fruit,
and colorful autumn foliage.
If you want to cover a chain link fence
or an old tree, perhaps you might like
to try Passion Vines or Jasmine, both of
which may envelope anything in which
they come in contact.
With so many different types of vines
from which to choose, ask your local
nurseryman for suggestions to meet your
needs, and discover the merits of vines in
your own garden.
Robert Goleman
Owner, Hortus Botanicus
