Choose Versatile Vine to Accent the Garden

No matter what the situation is in your garden--sun, shade, wet or dry--there is a vine for you. What can be more pleasurable than sitting in a cool shady arbor on a hot summer’s day and enjoying the beauty of flowering vines. They are well worth any efforts needed to grow and train them.

The queen of these vines is probably the deciduous Clematis. The large flowered (to 10 inches) varieties are available in colors from yellow to pink, purple or red. They are a little particular about having cool, moist roots once established, but the blooms are gorgeous. Evergreen Clematis ( C. armadii ) with its spring blanket of fragrant white star flowers is just as lovely. These are only two of the 40 or 50 varieties known, so don’t feel restricted.

There are also many jasmines to consider. Everyone knows the good old Star Jasmine, which takes part of its name from its jasmine-like fragrance, but how about the Primrose Jasmine, ( Jasmine mesyni ) with yellow flowers all summer and fall. Spanish Jasmine ( j. grandiflorum ) has fragrant little white flowers in the spring. These last vines are three true members of the Jasmine genus and are sure to please.

Another vine with a similar name is the Carolina Jessamine, which blooms in the spring with yellow trumpet flowers.

If you prefer one of the more vigorous vines available, the trumpet vine family is a good choice and there are several varieties that will give you trumpet-shaped flowers in various colors--violet, red or orange.

While it will take the heat and drought once established, it is still very fast growing; so give it plenty of room and a very strong support, but avoid using the side of a building for this vine. This need for good support also applies to beautiful wisterias, which can put out so much growth that skimpy trellises can break beneath their weight.

Just as vigorous as the two above, but appearing much more delicate is the Sliver Lacevine ( Polygonum autbertii ). Its foamy masses of white flowers cover the plant all summer. This one is especially beautiful cascading down a masonry wall and can cover 100 feet in a season. We have mentioned only a few of the flowering vines available to you. See your local nurseryman and explore the other choices available to you.