GARDENING : Colorful Vines Untangle Problems With Bare, Boring, Unsightly Walls
Vines provide color in otherwise unused vertical spaces. They’re excellent camouflage for unsightly buildings, tree stumps or boring expanses of walls or fences. And, to top that off, most vines thrive in this region.
Technically, the word “vine” refers to woody, fruiting climbers like kiwi fruit or grapes, according to the American Horticultural Society. However, they are more commonly understood to be flexible shrubs that just keep growing in all directions.
The phrase “reach out and touch someone” takes on special relevance when you consider planting vines in a garden.
“Having a vine at your house is just like having a child; they both need attention,” said Shirley Kerins, a landscape architect based in Huntington Beach.
Kerins has long sung the praises of vines and laments their underuse by most gardeners, probably because they seem to demand too much time and effort. But Kerins thinks otherwise.
“Vines are no messier than other plants, and once trained aren’t that hard to grow,” she said. “Some vines bloom just about all year long, can be used to block out unwanted views or harsh sun, and can produce breathtaking effects.
“But you can’t just plant a vine and walk away from it, because they grow in all directions.”
The secret to success with vines is selecting the right vine for the space, training it and removing excess growth regularly during its growing season. There are hundreds of vines. Some, such as passion fruit, kiwi or berries, have the bonus of yielding edible fruit.
Most, however, are ornamental, often evergreen and frequently have long periods of bloom.
Here are some simple methods of training them:
* Attached to a fence like chain-link, the simplest and most often used. Simply plant the vine in the middle of the fence, guide it as it grows and enjoy as it fills in. Select vines that will cover 30 or more feet, depending on the length of fence. If the fence is wood, you may need to attach heavy twine or line for the plant to attach itself, especially when it’s still young.
* Attach to a trellis against a house, garage or other structure. Vines soften architectural lines such as large blank expanses of walls. Dense vines such as Vigna caracalla (snail vine) cool a structure by keeping out the hot rays of the summer sun.
* Attach to an arbor, pergola, tuteur or other ornamental structure. Used in this manner, vines become a decorative element in the garden, a shady oasis that forms the canopy for a pleasant seating area. Long used in Europe, tuteurs are free-standing ornamental shapes to which vines are attached. Look for them in mail-order catalogues specializing in garden supplies.
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You can also use vines to create unusual designs on fences or walls. Nylon fishing line, small-link chain and strong twine are all materials that can be used to guide the vine.
To create an “X” design on a fence, attach a length of fishing line to the fence top. Secure the other end at the bottom of the fence, making a diagonal line. Repeat, crossing the diagonal to form an X. Repeat across the length of fence. Plant the vine in the middle and, as tendrils grow, guide them along the lengths of line. Remove excess growth to keep the pattern. This method works best with light, lacy vines like jasmine or potato vine.
Another design Kerins likes to use is “bushy eyebrows”--so-called because it trains vines to provide cover above a window as bushy eyebrows cover the eye.
Kerins uses the technique to screen out harsh summer sunlight and to block the unwelcome view of two-story neighboring houses.
To create a vining eyebrow for a window, carefully insert sturdy nails on the inside of the roof fascia (the horizontal board at the edge of the roof) or rafters. Nail at a slant, about 3 feet apart. Attach a 12-inch length of small chain to each nail, and let chains hang. Attach a length of green nylon tie or very strong twine to the bottom of each length of chain. Then fasten the tie or twine to the bottom of the chain next to it. This creates a horizontal surface, above the windows, where the vines can grow.
Plant a vine in the middle of the wall, and let it grow up the trellis or stake to which it is attached. Depending on the size and type of vine, it should take about one year for the vine to grow tall enough to reach the chain. When it does, train the tendrils to grow horizontally. In another year or so, the vine will fill out, creating the bushy effect. Tendrils will also cascade down.
Kerins likes to use Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine) because of its fragrance and texture. She also recommends Solanum jasminoides (potato vine), because of its profuse flowering.
Training a Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is probably the most popular vine in Orange County. Although there are many varieties, most popular are the tall ones in iridescent colors.
Because the aggressive canes are covered with sharp thorns, experts advise pruning the base completely and training the vine to clamber up a support and then cascade along the top of the structure--fence, wall, pergola or house--where bystanders can admire the striking colors without being impaled.
