14 Mar Vines For Every Purpose

It seems there’s a vine for every purpose under the sun. And for every garden in the shade. There are vines that grow quickly, vines with bright flowers, vines with colorful foliage and vines with decorative fruits. Many vines combine several of these attributes, making them the perfect choice for a trellis, obelisk, arbor or pergola.

Annual Vines

Morning glory and moonflower are both members of the Ipomoea genus. These fast growers are wonderful choices to cover an area quickly. Their names are perfect indicators of their bloom time. Morning glories bloom in early morning and sometimes last until mid afternoon. These beauties come in shades of blue, purple, red and pink. Moonflowers are night bloomers. Therefore, their fragrant white blossoms makes them a perfect choice in a moon garden. Both are annuals in zones 6 & 7 but often reseed and pop up the following spring.

Mandevilla, a popular tropical vine requires full sun and lots of water. This proficient bloomer sports trumpet shaped flowers in various shades of pink. Mandevilla are easily grown in containers, but must be brought indoors for the winter in colder climates. As long as they’re kept in a bright, sunny area, you’ll be able to enjoy their blooms all winter long.

Bougainvillea is hardy in zones 9-11, but should be considered an annual elsewhere. This thorny vine shows off orange, pink, red, purple or white blossoms and provides beautiful blooms all summer long.

Classic Climbers

Coral and Gold Flame honeysuckle can’t be beat for hardiness. These sun lovers are hardy to zone 5.  They provide a heavenly scent and a long blooming season.

American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) is a native vine that produces lovely hanging clusters of purple flowers. Wisteria can grow up to 40′ so be sure to take size into consideration when planting. Avoid Chinese and Japanese wisteria as these are both invasive species.

Climbing hydrangeas are very slow growers, but once established, their puffy white blooms show off from summer into fall.

Clematis are often referred to as the “Queen of Climbers’. There are both spring and summer blooming species. Their very showy flowers are available in many shades of pink, purple, red, yellow and white. Give these regal vines a place in your garden, and you’ll be rewarded for years to come.

Rise Up Ringo Climbing Rose www.provenwinners.com

Climbing roses. We can’t forget this true classic. Available in a rainbow of colors, climbing roses love full sun and most importantly,  provide an abundance of fragrant blooms all summer into fall. While climbing roses may need a little more care than some other vining plants, they are well worth the effort.

So don’t be afraid to experiment with vines and grow more than one variety on your arbor. Combine quick growers or annuals with perennials and you’ll have instant, temporary protection while you wait for the slow growers to catch up. That way you’ll always be covered.