A Vine State of Affairs: Using Versatile Crawlers for Decoration and Privacy

Few plants have the versatility of vines. They can be trained to cover trellises, arbors and patio covers. They can grow up walls, down slopes and spill over retaining walls. Their ornamental foliage can be used to frame entryways and garages, and soften harsh block walls. Small vines add whimsy to mailboxes and garden ornaments, and some vines bear fascinating or delicious fruit.

Best of all, vines can be used in any size garden to add privacy, says Brita Lemmon, owner of Brita’s Old Town Gardens nursery in Seal Beach. “Rather than look out your window at a blank wall and your neighbor’s house, you can trellis vines in incredibly narrow places and end up with lush greenery and color,” she says.

But before you envision a bougainvillea barrier between you and your neighbor, consider two obstacles: The wall surface itself and your homeowners association, if you belong to one.

Rough wood and a chain-link fence will catch most vines, but few will cling to stucco without a trellis, says Lemmon. And some homeowners associations don’t allow vines to grow directly on walls.

Newport Beach landscape architect Janette Mestre has found a way around such stipulations: a trellis. “I attach trellises to walls with a swivel hook and plant on the trellis. When maintenance is required, the trellised vine can be removed from the wall and laid flat and then reattached.”

To have the best luck incorporating vines into your landscape, choose vines carefully.

Small gardens look best with small-leaved vines, such as bower vine, Carolina jessamine and pink jasmine.

Good vines for bigger gardens include those with larger leaves such as trumpet vine, flame vine, black-eyed Susan vine and grape.

Although they may look small and unassuming in their nursery container, many vines grow large. Give them space to spread.

“People underestimate vines,” says Lili Singer, editor and publisher of the Van Nuys-based bimonthly publication, “The Gardener’s Companion: A Guide to Gardening in Southern California and Other Mediterranean Climates”. “Many vines will easily grow 15 to 20 feet with time.”

Vines--especially big ones such as bougainvillea, wisteria and passion vine--get dense and need frequent pruning. The best time to cut most vines is in the fall, which will give them several months to store energy for the following season’s growth.

Plant more than one vine with the same color flower and they will grow together and produce a stunning display. It’s also effective to combine vines that flower at different times of the year to get a longer flower display.

But when combining vines, consider leaf size, suggests Lemmon. “Generally, plants with larger leaves will shade the plant with smaller leaves and eventually take over, so try to combine vines with compatible leaf size.”

In the warm months, it’s possible to temporarily cover an area with a variety of short-term vines, such as cup-and-saucer vine, scarlet runner bean, hyacinth bean, gourd, moonflower, cardinal climber and annual morning glories. Most of these are grown for their dramatic flowers, though gourds are grown for their odd fruit.

Be aware that some annual vines, like several kinds of morning glory, will reseed themselves the following year.

Another option is to let vines hang. Rather than encouraging them to grow skyward, gardeners can grow them in hanging containers, from which they can cascade. “This gives a curtain-like effect that provides privacy and shade,” says Mestre. “Vines that aren’t vigorous do well with this type of treatment, such as clock vine, star jasmine, bower vine and stephanotis.”

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Some Useful Vines

Small-leaved vines for small gardens:

* Bower vine (Pandorea jasminioides)

Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)

* Pink jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum)

Big-leaved vines for big gardens:

* Black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata)

* Flame vine (Pyrostegia venusta)

* Grape

* Trumpet vines (various Campsis)

Vines to drape from a pot:

* Bower vine (Pandorea jasminioides)

* Clock vine (Thunbergia gregorii)

* Star jasmine (Trachelospermum)

* Stephanotis floribunda

Annual vines for temporary color or fruit:

* Cardinal climber (Ipomoea quamoclit)

* Cup-and-saucer vine (Cobaea scandens)

* Hyacinth bean

* Gourd

* Scarlet runner bean

* Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)

* Morning glory (Ipomoea nil)