Climbing vines a tall order for gardens

By: 
Rob Zimmer
Columnist

One of the most common questions I receive is regarding flowering or climbing vines for backyards and gardens. There are a number of excellent vining plants that can be used in gardens in our area. Some are perennial vines, while others are annuals. All provide excellent growth and foliage, along with colorful blooms.

Perennial vines include clematis, a favorite among many gardeners. Clematis are a longtime garden stalwart and a traditional climbing plant for use in perennial gardens. Their flowers come in a wide range of colors, including shades of pink, red, purple, lavender and white.

While sometimes tricky to get started, once they are established, clematis do wonderfully in our area. Many of these can grow quite large, and I often see clematis covering sides of garages and outbuildings.

Be sure to do your research, as there are varieties of clematis that are better suited for our area than others. Be sure to purchase well-established, compact potted plants. Clematis are very touchy when transplanted and often need a bit of care. Once they are established, however, they are virtually maintenance free.

Another excellent climbing perennial vine for our area is trumpet honeysuckle. Do not confuse this with the large, orange-flowered trumpet creeper. While that is also a nice woody vine for our area, it tends to be quite invasive and aggressive.

Trumpet honeysuckle is a more herbaceous plant with a softer stem and loose clusters of flowers in red, orange, yellow, as well as several garden hybrids such as peaches and cream.

Trumpet creeper and trumpet honeysuckle are both excellent choices for hummingbirds. If you go with trumpet creeper, be sure to give it plenty of room and do not plant close to a building. The suckers and shoots can actually grow beneath the shingles and siding and cause damage. Plant in an area where it can go free and climb to its heart’s content.

Climbing hydrangea is another excellent choice perennial vine. This one can also get quite large. It is often seen climbing up the sides of barns and silos in our area.

Climbing hydrangea features large, lacy clusters of white blooms that may be a foot across. It does best in part shade.

There are several varieties of climbing ivy that are often used in our area. Be aware that the suckers on these plants can also damage siding and brick and wood structures.

There are a number of excellent annual vines that can be used on trellises and obelisks or in containers. Morning glories are one such vine. These bloom in a number of different colors and shapes and sizes.

Cardinal climber is a beautiful climbing vine with long, bright red, tubular-shaped flowers that are prized by hummingbirds.

Purple hyacinth bean and scarlet runner bean are two decorative beans that work excellent as ornamental vining plants in the garden. Purple hyacinth bean features lovely pinkish-purple blooms followed by large purple bean fruits later in the season.

Scarlet runner bean features deep red blossoms and long reddish blooms in summer and fall.

Tropical vines such as Mandevillas and Passion flower make excellent accent and specimen plants in the summer garden. They should be treated as annuals or, ideally, brought indoors as house plants during the winter season.

These as well as many other vines are fun to experiment with in the summer garden. Whether you choose perennial vines, annuals or tropicals, enjoy the beauty and vertical interest they provide.


Rob Zimmer is a nature and garden author, public speaker and radio show host on WHBY. Readers can find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RobZimmerOutdoors.