Up and over, in and out: Climbing vines are cool additions to any landscape, even very small gardens.
One of the most overlooked groups of plants available to gardeners, vines are everywhere in nature, clambering up trees in the native woods, sprawling along roadsides and cascading down hillsides and creek banks. Most provide crucial food and shelter for fantastic wildlife. In town, they soften the edges of fences and arbors, mask bare walls and provide fast shade on the hot side of a house. They hide ugly scenery while providing framing, creating focal points and lifting our view from the lawn and flower beds to eye level and above. Several vines are ideal for erosion control or grow in areas that are too difficult to mow or too shady for grass.
There are many dozens of different vines from which to choose, some of which provide colorful flowers in spring, summer and fall; gorgeous autumn foliage colors; and evergreen texture or accents through our seasonal “downtimes.” Quite a few vines also have attractive berries or other fruit, some of which we take for granted in the vegetable garden – including tomatoes, gourds and beans.
Some vines are herbaceous perennials that leap from the ground every spring. Others, including climbing roses and wisteria, are long-lived woody landscape growers that provide a year-round framework of texture for many years. There are also many annual vines that are either replanted every year from seed or reseed themselves. And a few tender tropical vines, such as bougainvillea and allamanda, must be brought in every winter everywhere except in frost-free areas of the country.
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