Vines are amazingly versatile in creating a vertical look, hide an unsightly shed, create focus and drama in the garden or create privacy between neighbours. They also soften the hard square lines of decks and buildings thus adding interest to the garden. There are many types of vines to choose from and it is important to choose the right one for the right area and conditions.
The Clematis is unsurpassed in its beauty and versatility. There are over 400 varieties and each one is amazing. The macropelala ‘Lagoon’ has delicate deep violet blue flowers that look like fairy caps whereas the B.C. bred Vancouver ‘Deborah Dahl’ has huge 9” blue flowers which bloom in May and June and then repeat again in September. From Europe is the Clematis ‘Blue Light’ which has loads of distinctive double blue-violet to pale blue flowers. It grows 6-8 Feet with 5” bloom. It attracts hummingbirds and supposedly is deer and rabbit resistant as well as disease resistant.
For choices in white try Belle of Woking which is an interesting double flower in Silver with a hint of mauve. The Florida “Seiboldii” is much sought after for its showy blooms of crisp white. It flowers in June, July and August and has lovely seed pods in the fall. The ‘Fair Rosamond’ is one of the rare fragrant Clematis. The large white bloom has a white base with pale pink bars and red stamens. It grows 8-12 feet and supposedly deer resistant.
If you prefer pink, try the ‘Violet Elizabeth’ which has large double mauve pink flowers with yellow anthers blooming in May and June and then later in September. The award winning ‘Purpurea Plena Elegans’ is stunning, grows 8-12’ and attracts hummingbirds while being both deer and rabbit resistant. A prolific bloomer is the Clematis: ‘Little Duckling’ (also known as ‘Piilu’) which is a two- tone pink. This compact plant grows 4-6 feet tall making it ideal to grow in a container and brags about the number of flowers it produces, as it blooms from top to bottom.
Barry Fretwell from England created ‘Patrica Anne Fretwell’ which is the first double flowering red and pink Clematis: light pink with a darker pink\red bar and creamy white stamens This showy repeat bloomer starts double blooms in mid Spring and has single flowers from the new growth in September until late fall. It grows 6-8’ and is hardy to zone 4.
For purple, try ‘The Vagabond ‘which has deep purple flowers with maroon central bars and white filaments. It is compact at 4-6 feet and yet sports 6” blooms. And lastly, for red try, ‘Niobe’ which has velvet ruby red blooms: It grows 6-8 feet and attracts hummingbirds while supposedly being deer and rabbit resistant.
All Clematis prefer moist soil. All vines like to keep their roots cool and heads in the sun. Plant Clematis 2 -3” below soil level to encourage resiliency. And take the Deer and Rabbit resistant comments with a grain of salt, because many Clematises do get eaten by both.
An easy care, easy to grow vine is the Campsis (Trumpet Vine). It is drought tolerant once established and clings by aerial stem roots. Well known for its trumpet shaped flowers, it is very hardy but needs shelter from cold winds .It attracts birds, bees and butterflies but is deer resistant. Although it is a vigorous grower to 30’, it can be easily pruned.
‘Indian Summer’ has the lovely and unusual apricot color with deep orange throat and ‘radicans atropurpurea’ has red trumpets that call out to hummingbirds. Beautiful with its 3” long flowers, this plant needs room to ramble.
The Jasmine is unbeatable for its amazing intoxicating fragrance. While the yellow (Winter) Jasminum nudiflorum is hardy (but not scented) the Jasminum officinale (Summer) needs a very sheltered sunny spot and is on the edge of hardiness for our region. They need fertile, well-drained soil, full to partial sun, and make great container plants. Water freely in Summer but reduce the watering in the Winter if you bring it inside.
The Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Star Jasmine’ is the white fragrant evergreen jasmine that most people know. It is Zone 7
‘Fiona Sunrise’ has fabulous chartreuse foliage that turns to gold as it ages and has masses of fragrant white flowers that bloom throughout the summer and autumn. It is fast growing along a frost protected border or against a wall or is easily kept in a container and brought indoors to over winter. Bees and butterflies love this plant. Flowers appear on new growth so don’t be afraid to prune it. The Jasmine ‘Stephanense’ has star-shaped fragrant pale pink flowers.
Lonicera (Honeysuckle) is a hardy, fragrant and easy to grow vine. It is a vigorous climber and can hide an unsightly area very quickly. Honeysuckle tolerate most soils types, are drought tolerant and great for any vertical structure. Really lovely for creating the cottage garden ambience, untroubled by most pest and disease and left alone by deer. Give it full sun to part shade, and after the vine blooms it forms bright red berries that songbirds adore. It also attracts hummingbirds and Butterflies. Zone 5
One of the best known is the award winning ‘Belgica’ (Dutch Honeysuckle) which is a very fragrant climber with red-flushed white flower ageing to yellow in the early summer followed by red berries. The showy ‘GoldFlame’ grows 10-15 feet and is rose pink with yellow interior.
Out of Holland comes ‘Honey Baby’, the first bush form of honeysuckle. It grows 5 feet by 5 feet making it ideal for containers, on a balcony or terrace, as a specimen or hedge. This outstanding Honeysuckle has creamy yellow/white trumpet flowers that last well into the fall and has a fantastic fragrance. Zone 4
For the cottage garden look, nothing exudes romance like Wisteria. Wonderful cascading long racemes of blue, lavender or white depending on which variety you choose billow over gates, arbours, roof tops or fences. As I mentioned last week, they need a large solid structure and the deer will not touch them. They tolerate most soil types and prefer to be moist but well-drained. Great choices are ‘Caroline’, ‘Amethyst’, ‘Lavender Lace’ and ‘Blue Sapphire’. Even when they drop their leaves the bare and twisted branches offer winter interest.
If you have a more shaded trellis, then grow either a Climbing Hydrangea or the evergreen Clematis Armandii.
If you are not really interested in flowers or fragrance but really want coverage and a spectacular fall color, try either the Parthenocissus tricuspidata (Boston Ivy) and Parthenocissus Quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper). These are vigorous deciduous climbers which have tendrils or disk-like suckers that attach on walls. Their lobed or palmate leaves give fantastic fall color of bright red and orange. They are not fussy with the type of soil but prefer moist and well drained. They can be shaped to fit any area.
There is a vine to suit any need or condition, you are only limited by your imagination. Happy Gardening!
The Clematis is unsurpassed in its beauty and versatility. There are over 400 varieties and each one is amazing. The macropelala ‘Lagoon’ has delicate deep violet blue flowers that look like fairy caps whereas the B.C. bred Vancouver ‘Deborah Dahl’ has huge 9” blue flowers which bloom in May and June and then repeat again in September. From Europe is the Clematis ‘Blue Light’ which has loads of distinctive double blue-violet to pale blue flowers. It grows 6-8 Feet with 5” bloom. It attracts hummingbirds and supposedly is deer and rabbit resistant as well as disease resistant.
For choices in white try Belle of Woking which is an interesting double flower in Silver with a hint of mauve. The Florida “Seiboldii” is much sought after for its showy blooms of crisp white. It flowers in June, July and August and has lovely seed pods in the fall. The ‘Fair Rosamond’ is one of the rare fragrant Clematis. The large white bloom has a white base with pale pink bars and red stamens. It grows 8-12 feet and supposedly deer resistant.
If you prefer pink, try the ‘Violet Elizabeth’ which has large double mauve pink flowers with yellow anthers blooming in May and June and then later in September. The award winning ‘Purpurea Plena Elegans’ is stunning, grows 8-12’ and attracts hummingbirds while being both deer and rabbit resistant. A prolific bloomer is the Clematis: ‘Little Duckling’ (also known as ‘Piilu’) which is a two- tone pink. This compact plant grows 4-6 feet tall making it ideal to grow in a container and brags about the number of flowers it produces, as it blooms from top to bottom.
Barry Fretwell from England created ‘Patrica Anne Fretwell’ which is the first double flowering red and pink Clematis: light pink with a darker pink\red bar and creamy white stamens This showy repeat bloomer starts double blooms in mid Spring and has single flowers from the new growth in September until late fall. It grows 6-8’ and is hardy to zone 4.
For purple, try ‘The Vagabond ‘which has deep purple flowers with maroon central bars and white filaments. It is compact at 4-6 feet and yet sports 6” blooms. And lastly, for red try, ‘Niobe’ which has velvet ruby red blooms: It grows 6-8 feet and attracts hummingbirds while supposedly being deer and rabbit resistant.
All Clematis prefer moist soil. All vines like to keep their roots cool and heads in the sun. Plant Clematis 2 -3” below soil level to encourage resiliency. And take the Deer and Rabbit resistant comments with a grain of salt, because many Clematises do get eaten by both.
An easy care, easy to grow vine is the Campsis (Trumpet Vine). It is drought tolerant once established and clings by aerial stem roots. Well known for its trumpet shaped flowers, it is very hardy but needs shelter from cold winds .It attracts birds, bees and butterflies but is deer resistant. Although it is a vigorous grower to 30’, it can be easily pruned.
‘Indian Summer’ has the lovely and unusual apricot color with deep orange throat and ‘radicans atropurpurea’ has red trumpets that call out to hummingbirds. Beautiful with its 3” long flowers, this plant needs room to ramble.
The Jasmine is unbeatable for its amazing intoxicating fragrance. While the yellow (Winter) Jasminum nudiflorum is hardy (but not scented) the Jasminum officinale (Summer) needs a very sheltered sunny spot and is on the edge of hardiness for our region. They need fertile, well-drained soil, full to partial sun, and make great container plants. Water freely in Summer but reduce the watering in the Winter if you bring it inside.
The Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Star Jasmine’ is the white fragrant evergreen jasmine that most people know. It is Zone 7
‘Fiona Sunrise’ has fabulous chartreuse foliage that turns to gold as it ages and has masses of fragrant white flowers that bloom throughout the summer and autumn. It is fast growing along a frost protected border or against a wall or is easily kept in a container and brought indoors to over winter. Bees and butterflies love this plant. Flowers appear on new growth so don’t be afraid to prune it. The Jasmine ‘Stephanense’ has star-shaped fragrant pale pink flowers.
Lonicera (Honeysuckle) is a hardy, fragrant and easy to grow vine. It is a vigorous climber and can hide an unsightly area very quickly. Honeysuckle tolerate most soils types, are drought tolerant and great for any vertical structure. Really lovely for creating the cottage garden ambience, untroubled by most pest and disease and left alone by deer. Give it full sun to part shade, and after the vine blooms it forms bright red berries that songbirds adore. It also attracts hummingbirds and Butterflies. Zone 5
One of the best known is the award winning ‘Belgica’ (Dutch Honeysuckle) which is a very fragrant climber with red-flushed white flower ageing to yellow in the early summer followed by red berries. The showy ‘GoldFlame’ grows 10-15 feet and is rose pink with yellow interior.
Out of Holland comes ‘Honey Baby’, the first bush form of honeysuckle. It grows 5 feet by 5 feet making it ideal for containers, on a balcony or terrace, as a specimen or hedge. This outstanding Honeysuckle has creamy yellow/white trumpet flowers that last well into the fall and has a fantastic fragrance. Zone 4
For the cottage garden look, nothing exudes romance like Wisteria. Wonderful cascading long racemes of blue, lavender or white depending on which variety you choose billow over gates, arbours, roof tops or fences. As I mentioned last week, they need a large solid structure and the deer will not touch them. They tolerate most soil types and prefer to be moist but well-drained. Great choices are ‘Caroline’, ‘Amethyst’, ‘Lavender Lace’ and ‘Blue Sapphire’. Even when they drop their leaves the bare and twisted branches offer winter interest.
If you have a more shaded trellis, then grow either a Climbing Hydrangea or the evergreen Clematis Armandii.
If you are not really interested in flowers or fragrance but really want coverage and a spectacular fall color, try either the Parthenocissus tricuspidata (Boston Ivy) and Parthenocissus Quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper). These are vigorous deciduous climbers which have tendrils or disk-like suckers that attach on walls. Their lobed or palmate leaves give fantastic fall color of bright red and orange. They are not fussy with the type of soil but prefer moist and well drained. They can be shaped to fit any area.
There is a vine to suit any need or condition, you are only limited by your imagination. Happy Gardening!
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