Climbing vines

By Christine Allen | Image: Barbra Fairclough

When the keen gardener runs out of horizontal space, it’s natural to look around for
other surfaces to adorn with plants. Some, like fences, the walls of the house, garages and sheds, are already there, waiting to be decorated; others, like pergolas, tepees, arches and screens, can be bought ready-made or constructed with some simple carpentry. The fun part is choosing what to put onto them, and the choice is wide. But a little thought beforehand can save you from numerous headaches later.

Wisteria
It can be a glorious sight in bloom, but planting wisteria against a house guarantees problems down the road. Its rampant growth will soon have it prising up the roof, while down below, its thirsty roots are busy invading the perimeter drains or, worse, the sewer line. On a sturdy pergola, however, it can spread without threatening its host, and be easily within reach for some judicious pruning as well.

There are two main species of wisteria: Chinese and Japanese. The most common is the Chinese form (Wisteria sinensis) whose tassels of flowers all open at once before the leaves unfold. Japanese types (Wisteria floribunda) produce leaves at the same time as the flowers, but flower trusses are longer, generally more fragrant, and open gradually from stem to tip. Both species come in white, as well as the popular purple, and mature vines will produce elegant, long pods with a coating of silvery fur in winter.

Honeysuckle
This is another vigorous twining vine best kept away from the house. Honeysuckle has the advantage of several evergreen varieties, although the deciduous forms have larger flowers. Fragrant yellow and cream blooms make Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’ one of the most popular of the former, while the variegated foliage of ‘Aureoreticulata’ also has its admirers, despite its susceptibility to mildew. Planting in partial shade helps.

The so-called Dutch honeysuckles, early-blooming L. periclymenum ‘Belgica’ and the later ‘Serotina,’ dominate the deciduous category. Both are dark pink with yellow throats, well scented, and bloom over a long season. Two more good choices are L. x heckrottii ‘Gold Flame,’ with showy crimson and gold flowers, and L. periclymenum ‘Graham Thomas,’ which has fragrant ribbons of cream and soft yellow.
Fans of tropical hues might prefer L. x brownii ‘Dropmore Scarlet’ or the dazzling orange but scentless newcomer ‘Mandarin,’ introduced by UBC.

Hydrangea
Where repainting a wall or solid fence is not an issue, climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris) has all-season appeal. It adapts best to a slightly rough surface that allows its hair-like aerial roots a good grip. Vines take a little while to establish themselves, but will eventually cover a sizeable surface. They leaf out early and offer a fine show of the typical lacecap flowers in pristine white. An advantage of this plant is that it will happily grow in considerable shade. A close relative, Japanese hydrangea vine (Schizophragma hydrangeoides) has larger flowers. The variety ‘Moonlight’ has a beautiful milky sheen to its leaves. Climbing hydrangeas are almost trouble-free, although slugs are partial to young plants.