need info on some vines

[cguinn]

IM PUTTING IN A NEW POND THIS FALL AND IM BUILDING A BRIDGE ACROOS IT WITH A TRELLIS OVER THE BRIDGE. I NEED SOME HELP ON DECIDING WHAT KIND OF VINE TO PUT ON THE TRELLIS. IM WANT SOMETHING THAT WILL COVER IT FAST AND WILL HAVE LOTS OF COLOR IN SPRING THUR FALL IF POSSIBLE. CAN ANYONE GIVE ME ANY HELP OR IDEAS.


*********************** THANKS, CHRIS:P

[Newt]

Hey Chris, I'll give you some ideas if you promise not to yell anymore!* :shock:* Actually, I don't know where you live and you don't say what the sun conditions are, but here's some ideas.* You'll have to check the sun and hardiness zones.

Keep in mind that there really is no such thing as a perennial vine that grows fast at first.* Perennial vines take 2 to 3 years to establish their roots so they can support the top growth.* My all time favorite is the native honeysuckles.* They bloom on and off from late spring to first frost in my zone 7 garden, offer nectar to the hummingbirds and berries to the birds.* They are also great because they aren't invasive in the environment like the Japanese honeysuckle.

Lonicera heckrottii - Gold flame honeysuckle is a hybrid from native stock and is the only one that's fragrant.* If fragrance is important to you purchase it in bloom as the fragrance can be variable from plant to plant.
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plan...eckrottii.html
http://www.mostlynatives.com/notes/l...igoldflame.htm

Lonicera sempervirens 'Blanche Sandman' is the hummers favorite in my garden.
http://oakmediacreations.com/myg/pla...PlantID=000116
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/p....asp?code=B934

Lonicera sempervirens 'Alabama Crimson'
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/p....asp?code=B913

Do not plant anything that has 'japonica' or Hall's in the name as that is the invasive pest - Japanese honeysuckle or Hall's honeysuckle.

Consider using an annual vine along with the honeysuckle for the first couple of years until the honeysuckle becomes established.

Newt

[cguinn]

thanks newt. im in zone 7-8 and the plant will be in sun most the day, what annuals would u say to put and how fast would wisteria cover the trellis?

*************** chris:P

[Newt]

Chris, you are so very welcome!* I wouldn't recommend wisteria unless you are going to build a VERY sturdy arbor with 4X4's or 6x6's.* Wisteria will take some time to establish their roots and could take up to 5 to 7 years before it blooms.* The two biggest problems with wisteria, and that's no pun, is it will need pruning 3 to 4 times a year once it gets going and will get heavy enough to bring down a less then VERY sturdy structure.* Both the Chinese and Japanese wisteria are also invasive in many areas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisteria
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1246.html

As for annual vines, I would stay away from morning glory.* Once you plant it you almost always have it.* The seeds can remain viable in the soil for years.* We renovated our garden 4 years ago.* We had to remove much of the soil to regrade.* All the morning glory was removed and I'm still getting sprouts from dormant seeds.

Think about:
Hyacinth bean is an old-fashioned vine, making a big comeback. Hyacinth bean, Dolichos lablab, is a fast growing member of the pea family with large purplish tinted leaves with dark purple stems. If this weren't attractive enough, by mid-summer it is covered in deep lavender pea-like flowers. These long lasting blooms, are then transformed into glossy purple four inch seedpods, which are every bit as pretty as the blooms. It will grow up to 15 feet in a season. Uncooked beans and flowers are poisonous. Full sun to partial shade.
http://home.att.net/~larvalbugbio/hyacinthbean.html

The Scarlet runner bean, Phaseolus coccineus produces large vines with attractive scarlet flowers that also attract hummingbirds. You can eat the flowers, pods and seeds of this versatile bean.
http://www.sd1new.net/GardenPages/sc...unner_bean.htm

Another old-fashioned annual vine is the black-eyed Susan vine or clock vine, Thunbergia alata. Flowers may be orange, yellow or white, with or without a black center or "eye". The common name clock vine comes from the fact that the vine will twist around its support in a clockwise motion. These vines can be grown in a hanging basket, or it can climb a trellis, six to eight feet in a season. Partial shade is best, and this is not a drought tolerant plant, so be prepared to water.
http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week089.shtml

Asarina, commonly called creeping gloxinia, is a member of the snapdragon family. This vine is native to Mexico where it reaches great heights. It should grow at least ten feet tall, and blooms best in the sun. Flower color varies from shades of pink to purple.
http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.co...s/asarina.html

Cobaea scandens, or the Cup and Saucer Vine produces interesting flowers that start out as green papery buds and open to reveal the green saucer and bell-shaped flowers. They start off white, changing to deep purple before falling off. This sun-lover can grow twenty feet or more.
http://www.pickoftheplanet.com/varieties/cobaea.html

If you decide to mail order seeds this is a good site to use to check references.* You can also search by state and plant material.
http://davesgarden.com/gwd/

This site has others to offer and has excellent references at Garden Watchdog.
http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/vines.html

Newt