We usually think of vines as most useful for house walls and arbors, yet they will sprawl along the ground and are particularly useful for spreading over terraces.
They may eliminate grass-cutting of terrace slopes or soften the sharp lines of the terrace.
On either side of the terrace steps, they may be a welcome mass of growth to emphasize the pathway.
Using Different Vines For A Charming Touch
Formal terrace slopes, if planted with a vine for cover, should not have a vine that will mound unevenly but one that may be kept with an even spread of growth or be kept sheared low.
Most running roses will mound and are not easily sheared low, but the plain type, Rosa wichuraiana, runs low and is satisfactory for covering the ground.
The opposite is Japanese honeysuckle, which grows and covers roots easily as it runs and holds the soil in place.
It must be kept sheared to prevent mounding and not allowed to overrun the adjacent lawn or climb nearby bushes and trees. For doing these latter things, it is a notorious offender.
Porch Vines
Porch vines may be either a charming touch of foliage or a veritable eyesore. More often, they are the latter.
Planted with good intentions, they are often neglected, not being trained effectively or regularly trimmed.
They should always be used with a definite plan in mind which will provide lattice, in size and position, to agree with the surrounding architecture.
Then watch the advancing growth to keep it in line, make a little use of the pruning shears occasionally, and once a year prune the whole to bring neatness and avoid the bunching-up of growth.
Annual Vines
The preceding has all been with thoughts of perennial plants in mind, but sometimes annual vines are best so that heavy tangles of growth may be avoided.
Annual growth is fresh, clean, and bright. Their flowers have garden value, and a change of kind refreshes interest in plant life.
But there may not be many to choose from, for being annual, they will not answer the need for dressing up most porch scenes.
They will usually be better along garden walks, on upright panels, around a tool house, or on garden posts.
Such vine-clad posts may be effective accents in a garden. Of course, the morning glory is the most popular and deserving annual vine, as Scarlet O’Hara and Heavenly Blue varieties.
Another is the cardinal climber. Finally, in the same genus is the moonflower, which is night-blooming and very lovely if you can take the evening to enjoy it.
The cypress vine and the Thunbergia are other good annuals, though the latter is just a short vine.
Wall Vines
Wall vines are very agreeable, though complete coverage is often too heavy.
A lattice of vines is usually better. Stone walls are especially suited for evergreen vines, such as the English ivy.
Witch’s Japanese ivy is most beautiful in texture and Autumn foliage but barren of leaves in Winter.
Those who object to wall vines feel that the foliage keeps the walls from drying out after rains. But one may be reassured by the thought that the countless number of aerial rootlets and growing branches must absorb all available moisture.
When in leaf, the foliage must be a protection to walls, shedding most of the rain.
Evergreen Wintercreeper
For more northern localities, the evergreen wintercreeper (Enonymus), is the best of vines, thriving where the English ivy would not.
The one possible objection is that it is very subject to scale insect, which is rather hard to spray and combat on the walls of a house.
The common small-leaved one is the prettiest and best. There is also a variegated-leaf form, though it is not so vigorous and unchangeable.
Virginia Creeper
Nothing is better than the Virginia creeper in colder climates and where a natural growth habit is preferred.
Many porches in the suburban parts of northern Pennsylvania and New York are beautifully lined with this vine.
But where the Japanese beetle still prevails, this creeper is impossible, for the beetle goes first for that, completely defoliating it.
A well-foliaged vine is usually the aim, yet where flowers may be had, too, the combination is delightful.
Trumpet Creeper
Perhaps nothing is more cheerful and more thrilling than the trumpet creeper in full flower.
Unfortunately, perhaps, the trumpet creeper is usually not well-foliaged in the lower parts and must be located where the vine may clamber up over the house.
Flowers may usually be seen around the eaves of the house.
Our native creeper is brilliant with rich red flowers, but the Chinese, Campsist grandiflora, is most artistic and beautiful with clear yellow, spreading flower funnels.
A good hybrid of the two sorts is Madame Galen.
Climbing Hydrangea
For rustic work and boulders, nothing is better than the climbing hydrangea.
Although a true climber, clinging to walls, it lends itself to an artful arrangement of growth on low forms and does not grow rank.
A true hydrangea is a unique plant and very different in foliage and manner of growth from most vines.
Light-Growing Vines
Gateways are better covered with light-growing vines like the clematis. So, of course, Clematis paniculata is a deserving favorite.
This may be mingled with the curious structural flower of the bright red bell-shaped Clematis texensis, formerly known as coccinea. The same curious floral form is Clematis crispa, with blue flowers.
The large-flowering hybrids, jackmani type, are good to mingle with others, but amateurs find them more difficult to handle and avoid them.
Among all clematis, the small-flowered one Clematis Montana, and its varieties, should be oftener used. It is very distinctive.
Wisteria
The most longed-for vine is the wisteria. Its long, gracefully drooping purple or white flower racemes enrapture the sight.
It only blooms yearly, and its growth is not easily controlled.
Its slender, waving, rapid-growing branches grow at will in various directions and like to wrap themselves around rainspouts, branches of trees, trunks, and pillars.
Wisteria trunks increase in circumference and ultimately take charge of the host.
The way to grow and control the wisteria is to build a frame of heavy structure exactly over the area that you intend it to cover and then, by training and the occasional pruning, insist that it follow the lines of the frame.
It means work and constant supervision, but how wonderful are the floral results? Of course, the wisteria is not too hardy, especially in flower buds.
Much of the failure to bring it into flowering is due to the winter freezing of flower buds. Summer pruning is sometimes helpful in encouraging short flowering spurs.
Clinging Or Twining Methods Of Vines
Before going into the use of many vines, it is well to understand the methods of clinging or twining of the various kinds.
The clematis clings by wrapping its leafstalks around some other branch. The bittersweet growths twine around each other or around surrounding stems.
Honeysuckle spirals around other branches in a slow, waving fashion, never closely wrapped, but enough to hang on, and produces a wild tangle.
Wisteria winds around anything available. Wall vines follow the easier course of travel, always using their aerial pads over wood, stone, and coarse walls. However, they have a hard time on glazed surfaces, often failing completely.
Some vines are very outstanding, though not so frequently used.
We like an occasional dutchman’s pipe, with its large round leaves and odd floral pipes.
The Akebia, with its neat five-parted leaves and its curious, fragrant purple flowers.
The magnificent foliage of the grape that used to be known as Vitis heterophylla variegata (now Ampelopsis brevipedunculata elegans), with its porcelain blue fruit.
Common Periwinkle: Best Groundcover
Ground covers are a subject, yet we must not refrain from mentioning a sort of vine, one of the best ground covers known, the common periwinkle, Vinca minor.
It lies flat, with its rapidly-growing slender branches roots as they advance. The ground is covered with small, neat, evergreen leaves.
It covers the ground quickly. The least green thumb can transplant the shoots, and there are few places where they will not grow and succeed.
44659 by SM Meehan