Vines and Creepers

Got a quick question. What is the best spacing for vines?

I've got a 20' fence that I'm going to be putting trellis on. I'm going to extend the beds (with some odd shaping) that length of the fence also. To the far left of the fency is an old Lady Banks, to the far right is a dead end sign. I already have a bed, right in the center with 3 esperanzas, with two bougainvellas in between them. It's a full sun area. I want to have vines and roses running up the trellis' for the entire length and plant small trees and shrubs in front and smaller in the front. To get even pickier, I think I want most of the plants to be perennials and I love night bloomers.

On another part of the yard, I will also be putting in trellis'. This will be the walkway to my front porch. It's a deep porch with a small skinny bed next to the house. See picture. This area is more shaded (I can grow almost anything that takes full sun or partial shade) and it is an area the retains water in the yard. I want to have some vines growing up the side of the brick.

Suggestions?

Do you plan to have them growing as in attaching themselves to the brick or are you planning on putting a trellis there to protect your brick?
Here are my recommendations- and I love vines!!!
All these are good for this area:

Snail vine, generally freezes back in the winter so it is managable, however this winter my didn't and it's out of control!
Bower vine, both variegated and non; Southern Belle is the usual variety you will find locally pretty good grower though I don't think it wants to take over the whole world
Rangoon Creeper, requires strong support it is a creeper not really a vine- nice fragrance, flowers change from white to pink to red so the plant always has nice color.
Cross vine will take more shade than most will also take full sun is somewhat more mannerly- mainly fall blooming when nothing else looks good, also some spring blooming. There are 3 colors, native is yellow w/orange throat, Dragon lady is red and then there is one called tangerine- I have planted those 3 together but have not seen them really bloom much - they were planted early spring.
Bauhinia Corymbosa- mine was planted last year and was slow, this year it is going like crazy and is covered w/ flowers, not sure how big it will get over time- pale pink flowers, probably needs strong support.

There are lots of others but these are my favorites for now at least.
Hope this helps.
April

oh duh, forgot to mention my latest love, Allamanda, not just the plain old yellow one, although I like it, but Cherries Jubilee- 7.99 @ Cornelius or Buchanan's

Excellent ideas! Thanks for being so thorough. Yes, there will be a trellis installed along the brick this weekend (and a few feet along the 20' fence.......working it in parts)! Hooray!

I love that Allamanda. That crossvine sounds pretty too, They all sound great.

Now....gonna have to look up them all up.

I've been to Cornelius several times but not in the last few years. Sounds like I need to make a trek there.

Do you/have you ever grown a passion vine? I'm getting mixed reviews and already planted one about 3 weeks ago. I understand it's very invasive. I was hoping to intermingle it with some other vines.....just didn't want the same ole', same ole'. But if it is going to smother anything else I plant, I might not want that.

Thank you so much for taking the time to advise.

Kristi

Kristi

a couple of things about Passion vine, very, very pretty; very invasive! and they are a host plant for the Gulf Coast Frittary (hope that I spelled it correctly) very pretty butterfly but REALLY ugly caterpillar! I am not a bug fan but have tolerated caterpillars that become Cloudless sulpher and Monarch, but that GCF caterpillar is down right ugly! It's the color of a rusty nail and spikey looking- it wouldn't be so bad if it didn't completely strip every leaf! Now my daughter has Passion vine and never had one of those ugly caterpillars but each time I have planted one I swear to never do it again! Although, I do have one- they will take some shade as well.
Cross vine is pretty much available at most nurserys; Buchanan's or Joshua or Another Place in Time- all in the Heights and close to each other - nice way to spend a day- would be good sources for Rangoon Creeper and possibly some others- oh other good source is Enchanted Garden or Forest in Richmond.
Hope this helps.

I love Enchanted Garden....it's close and I go way too often (grocery or clothing budget gets reduced every time...LOL). I've never been to the other nurseries but I drive often in the heights.....I'll just have to make a day of it and stop.

hmmmm.......I can tolerate the cats if they don't eat up all of the plant. Think I'll just allow the passion plant to grow for a bit and see what happens. I tend to get lots of little monsters because of the pasture/pond/pecan orchard next to me. It's always a "wait and see" for any given plant and bug infestations. If I do get infested then I'll dig it up.

But, I sure don;t like the sound of that "very, very, very invasive"..........decisions, decisions. I love the weird little flowers but don't want a single plant to take over. Haven't had a chance to look up the other vines yet, just keep popping in here because I'm addicted!

You've been extremely helpful. Thank you April!

Hi April,

Sorry to post so late, I'm just a night owl.

Got the trellis' up and went ahead and planted the passion flower and mandevillas. And now I'm banging my head for doing so. Got to thinking and I should really have fragrant plants and vines in that spot. It is the entrance to my house. Well, they'll have to go over on the long fence when I get the trellis up on that.

I planted a "Southern Belle Bower Vine" on the smaller trellis. Didn't know a thing about it except it was pretty.

Here's the after......later, when it starts to fill up, I'll send you an "after, after."

Kristi

and the little one...

....beautiful! Knolan what is that at the bottom of the first pic?

Thank you! Ruellia and passion flower (just beginning to grow) and mandevilla.....

Kristi excellent start! I think you will like the Bower vine- I have a couple- my 1st two were sort of slow but the Southern Belle I bought earlier this year, locally is coming along faster and blooms more often. They are very pretty and soft looking.
April

Thanks April. I liked the softness of it too. How do you encourage the blooms?

Kristi

Kristi I have to say that this Bower vine for me has not needed a lot of encouragment. I use general fertilizer, planted w/ osmocote and then afer a while sprinkled whatever I had on hand- I am the type who mixes and matches. It's been tolerant of my tendency to overwater. It's pretty much auto pilot!

April

sounds like my kinda plant.

Glad it can handle being overwatered. I accidentally left the sprinkler on it all night the first day it was planted. YIKES!

I am the queen of overwatering! Just think of that as DEEP watering to help it get established! LOL.

Knolan I am talking about the stuff that look almost like Liriope ... the mounded one with the long spikey leaves.

That's the ruellia. I have the short one but there is a variety that gets rather tall. It blooms little purple or pink flowers all summer long. And spreads like crazy! But it is a good "border plant" and I'm think of using it around some of my other beds.

yeah Ruella... I knew it looked familar...mine dont get that high, I guess because it hidden ... but its the prettist thing when its blooming. I have been thinking about putting some in a pot, it runs all over the place. :)

This message was edited Jun 13, 2006 10:30 PM

While on the subject of vines and climbers, my mandevilla vine has grown past the top of its 8 foot trellis. It has nothing to which to attach itself. Do I need to start the top most growth back down the trellis or do I just let it do its own thing twirling around itself and hanging down? I would add another trellis at the top, but I am afraid of heights and it took my husband 3 years to put this trellis up (put it up 2 months ago).
Edited for typos ...

This message was edited Jun 15, 2006 8:57 AM

I think it's what ever look you like. I would start winding it back down; you could actually cut it off and try to propagate.

My sympathy on your husband- I have one too; if I don't do it myself it wont' get done.

Thanks for the quick reply. I started some back down the trellis along its edged. I had thought about pruning some of the other growth off; but, the vine is growing so magnificently I just hate to do it. I have found that mandevilla cuttings do root easily in just water. If I am able to overcome my fear, I may attach some plastic coated wires to the underside of the roof edge for the new growth the follow. The roofline at this point is much higher than the rest of the roofline.

Oh, no ... I am sorry that you have the same husband "cultivar" as mine. Thanks for the sympathy and it is extended back to you. My front 15 foot long, rotting, ugly privacy fence has needed replaced for 8 years. A couple of weeks ago after much nagging, he finally purchased the new slats. After hearing over and over that he would fix the fence "next week", 2 weekends ago I took a heavy metal sledge hammer and knocked all of the slats out and disposed of them. Realizing that he may have to help me walk the dogs because we couldn't let them out in the yard, he called my 13 year old grandson, Kye, to come over and "help" him fix the fence. I wish I had a video of my husband drinking sodas and smoking cigars as he sat in a lawn chair telling Kye what to do. Poor Kye struggled as he had to hold each slat up at the correct height and use the heavy nail gun at the same time. I was going to help Kye because it was a dangerous situation; but, one of my neighbors decided to "shame" my husband into getting up and assisting Kye. One of my neighbors yelled, "Hey, Bob! Looks like you're really working up a sweat fixing that fence!" That did the trick. I chuckled as Bob jumped up and helped finish the last third of the fence. He paid Kye for his help and Kye did learn how to replace the slats.

I have learned how to cope with being the "worker bee" of the family; however, I do become annoyed at times especially now that he has not been working for over about a year. I guess it was my destiny to learn patience as well as tricky ways to get the "king bee" to do things. I am now happy that I am able to rework the flowerbed in front of the fence. I can finally plant the plants I bought 8 years ago to go there that have been waiting in containers. :o)

Oh lord it sounds like they could be brothers! When it gets hot mine barely comes outside so I wouldn't have to worry about that sort of Tom Sawyer behavior. LOL. I have been waiting for 1 1/2 yrs for my husband to paint right near the ceiling of my bedroom. It's only 2 of the walls and they are taller than the other 2 and I can't reach them. I even left the ladder set up in the bedroom for 3 mos and finally I got tired of walking around it! I swear, if I knew then what I know now...
BTW I have a grandson, he will be 4 in Sept and his name is Kai- I am guessing that it is pronounced the same way as your grandson's. k-eye?

aprilwillis, yes, they sound like brothers alright. :o) ... Or should it be :o( ? The wall plaster sprackle and paint can has been sitting in my diningroom for 2 years now waiting for him to finish up patching a wall and painting it. I gurss I may have to break down and do it myself. I swore to myself that I wouldn't. Until recently, he never would take the garbage out because he couldn't "remember" the garbage pick up days even when I sat the trashbags in the doorway leading to the kitchen (his favorite room besides the livingroom with the recliner and remote control). Yes, my grandson's name is pronounced the same way as yours.

knolan, your vines are going to be sooo pretty.

Thanks htop!

Boy, I am laughing my butt off reading ya'lls stories. Gotta share my favorite.....and this would be about my EX husband.

He never did anything either but one day he decided he was going to "rig" the cable into the other bedrooms himself. I warned him not to because it's not right. He got stuck in the wall! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Took him over 30 minutes to get himself out. I almost called 911. Can you picture the fire dept. and the look on their face if I had to tell them that my husband is stuck in the wall? I still laugh at that today. He never lifted a finger again. Yeah, he was one bright cookie.

Kristi

Too funny- did you take pictures?. Yeah, although my husband works hard at work, he barely lifts a hand at home and apparently he wouldn't care if I did, doesn't notice the floor needs to be swept, the vacum cleaner needs to be run...at least that's his excuse for not doing those particular tasks.

Kristie, LOL. Your ex sounds like he could be my ex-husband's brother. My ex took his motorcycle's engine apart, replaced a worn part and then put it back together (in the living room no less). I noticed an extra part on the floor. He picked it up, looked at it and said that he didn't know what it was nor where it went. I suggested that he should figure out where it went and he told me that I had a college education; but, I didn't know anything about motorcycles and to stay out of his business. After replacing the engine on the motorcycle, he took it for a spin and it seemed to run fine. So he stated, "See, the engine didn't need the extra part" and threw it away. The next day, he took off really fast, popped a wheelie and the engine blew up just as the front wheel came back in contact with the ground. He landed on his you know what. He! He! He! I guess the engine needed that part after all, huh. He was one bright cookie too.

April, my present husband is also a slob, junk collector and a compulsive shopper as well as a "king bee". One of his favorite sayings when I ask him to pick all of his junk off the floor so that I am able to vacuum is "The house looks fine." But, compared to my ex, he is an angel so I shouldn't complain. One time I told him that we should get divorced and he should marry one of my best friends who is also a slob. He said, "But, if I did that, who would clean the house?" I also suggested that we buy the house across the street that was for sale. That way, he could live there and slob it up all he wanted never hearing a nagging word uttered from my mouth again. I could live in our present home in a neat, clean and organized environment. He could come over to visit me all he wanted as long as he didn't make a mess. He said that mihgh be a great idea and asked if I would do the yard work at "his" house. I told him I would if he paid me; but, I wouldn't take out his garbage. :o) The neighbors always rib him when we receive the "Yard of the Month" award from our neighborhood association. I do all of the yardwork. It always has his name in the neighborhood newsletter as the winner not my name. The neighbors congratulate him for all his "hard work" in the yard. At least he is a good sport about their digs..I do have to say that after I had quadruple bypass heart surgery about 2 years ago, he did water my plants when I couldn't and became more interested in them. He also mowed, edged and weedwhacked the yard for a couple of months.

I have a bloom! Just one little one but lots of buds. And it's a growin'!

Ya know, this flower just looks to me like its from another planet........me and the kids call it the "Alien" flower. Maybe that's why I'm allowing it to grow even though it's so invasive. It's just kind of fun! But I wish I had it in pink or yellow or red instead of purple.....I have too much purple.

Kristi
they do come in many colors- some more rare but red is pretty common. It looks great! Good job!! They are interesting flowers aren't they?

Htop
Too funny! I love the story about your ex and the motorcycle!! I'd have been reminding him of it every chance I got- I am that way.
My current husband is a pat rack, slob, not much of a shopper thank god- but he goes through his mail and just piles it up- junk mail and all, in his office- I don't go in there at all, not even to clean. He has bank statements from banks we haven't banked w/ for years- it's not that he saves because he thinks someday we might need it, he's just to lazy to through it in the trash!
I do most of the yard work here, except for the edging- he bought a new weed eater that try as I might, I cannot start- so the yard gets edged about once every 4 weeks and mowed regularly- by me- every week. He did tell our landlord that if he would leave me alone and let me relandscape the house would be yard of the month in no time- the 1st compliment he ever payed me regarding my efforts!
Oh well what are you going to do? Men, can't live with them, can't rip their heads off.

April

Everything is DROWNING!

Knolan and April, my husband must be related to yours. Or maybe a clone like Dolly? He is a SERIOUS cyclist, averages 21 MPH, 30-40 miles a day, really impressive. But, when I ask him to sharpen my loppers, he acts like I'm asking him for his last kidney! He wants me to write down the things I need him to do, helloooooo, this is only a procrastination technique, I wasn't born yesterday!

fly girl- at least he knows you have things he wants you to do! My husband pretends he doesn't know that I have been waiting for him to paint the room or edge the lawn or whatever! LOL. Years ago when my husband was younger he played semi-pro tennis and that was his excuse for not lifting a finger- he had to practice, he had to drive to a tournament, play in a tournament, re-string his racquets! How many times can you string and re-string the same racquet?
LOL
April

Years ago, my hubby was a cyclist.......his midlife crisis was to ride cross country. I'm waiting..........

April, was it a "special racquet"? A SPECIAL racquet would require HOURS of restringing. Did he sleep with it? Sounds very familiar. My hubby's bicycle is his "Mistress". No one can touch!

Well all of his racquets were special I would guess because all them required hours and hours of stringing and restringing- once they were strung he would have to cut the strings and restring then play w/ only one and then restring all! Honestly at times I believed he was just trying to avoid doing anything around the house, LOL.
Thank god he got old, blew out both knees and can't play anymore...hmm do I sound bitter?

My husbands 'Baby' is his vette. I'll catch him in the garage just staring at it lovingly. I'm not jealous.......okay a litle. He also would love to cycle cross-country. His plan in the fall is to go to someplace in Missouri, with his insane cyclist buddy, and ride 200 miles in one day! I just don't get it. This is fun? And how is this more fun than going to Lowe's to look at plants? Weird.

Oh I know, men are strange creatures aren't they? Like watching football, basketball, soccer, fly-fishing, etc could be more fun that re landscaping the yard? Go figure!

What amazes me most is I walk in from working in the yard and find my husband watching "classic" boxing or "classic" basketball- "classic" is just a fancy way of saying RE-RUN- how exciting is watching re-runs of sports? Gee it's not like you don't know who the winner is going to be! DUH.
April

I am truly one lucky lady! My DH LOVES gardening! Finally. Whew....
CJ

You're very lucky ceejaytown. Sometimes when I'm talking about planting this or that, his eyes glaze over and I think, "Oh, I should check his pulse". And then I realize I could watch that Lifteime movie I been meanin to see and check him later. LOL

Well, I gotta admit that his turnaround was when we made a visit to the Pacific Northwest and he saw all those beautiful gardens that we can't grow here. He took the MG classes and hit the ground running. It's lots of fun not to see that glazed look anymore! But I sure do know what you mean!! LOL Still, in the fall, he'll get up early in the morning and be out there working, and I'll wonder why, and then I'll remember that it's football season and he wants to watch the game(s) without any guilt on his part....
CJ

too familiar... too familiar... were y'all married to my ex, too? Tell me this is just one man we're passing around...

MG classes! oh yeah like that would ever happen in this house! CeeJay, you are very lucky!

And are you guys telling me that the glazed over look is not just the way all men look? LOL. Mine has it permanently. Sometimes when I want to force him into talking I ask if his mother grew this or that (knowing that she did) and then he talks endlessly about the plants, where they were, how she propagated them (like no one before her ever did, LOL) it's so predictable and funny.

I know lots of women and they seem to have varried interests- some like to shop, some don't, some like to decorate, some don't, etc. I don't think we are all the same, but men, come on there are only 2 kinds, those who love to watch football and those who are dead- LOL. So maybe we are all passing around this one guy!