Flowering vines add color, texture and a vertical element to the garden
Growing a vine up a trellis or along the top of a wall, or over an arbor will give a splash of color or screen a view. Vines provide a cooling effect by reducing the intensity of reflected light, casting a puddle of shade. They are great for creating layers in a garden without using a lot of space. Vines provide a background for other plants and add a contrasting texture. Consider creating a focal point by planting a vine to grow up an obelisk or topiary.
Let vines help set the mood or reinforce your theme, whether you are recreating a bit of Europe, aiming for an English cottage-style garden or drawing inspiration from the tropics.
Shade a patio by covering a pergola with a large vine or grape. Vines are a versatile set of plants to provide a dynamic, exciting look to your garden.
We love the following short list of great performing vines:
Blooming now
- Clematis can provide masses of white or shades of purple flowers midsummer through fall.
- Honeysuckle offers a profuse show of fragrant white blossoms. Good for covering a fence or bank.
- Climbing Roses make a stunning, colorful cover for arbors or a wall. Many colorful options abound. Some will reach 12 or more feet and provide a beautiful frame for a country garden.
- Pink Bower Vine blooms intermittently through the warm months providing a tropical-like look to sunny or part sun areas.
Blooming or fruiting later
- Morning Glory is a free-flowering informal vine perfect for an English Cottage-style or country gardens.
- Vine Lilac can handle sun or shade and blooms purple in late January/early February when little else is happening.
- Grapes are fruitful performers whether you plant table grapes or wine grapes or plant a California native, like Rodger’s red to say, “California.”
Recently bloomed
- Wisteria is a massive, rampant climber best suited for a large patio cover or pergola. Cooke’s Purple will flower intermittently through summer as well as a big splash in March/April.
- Pink Jasmine is a beautiful and fragrant evergreen climber that is easy to keep to a manageable 10’. It is lovely when placed left and right of an entry arbor.
- Lady Banks Rose is a thornless yellow or white vine that blooms once a year and has the impressive ability to raise the height of a fence by about 2’, creating a perfect privacy screen.
Most vines mentioned here can enjoy living with occasional water… especially if you plant in well-prepared soil, and mulch to improve moisture retention.
