This article is about climbers and vines and how they can not only be a beautiful addition to your garden but also very practical.
Vines are almost without equal in the beauty of the floral displays they produce.
They can be used as screens, wall coverings, decorations for structures like pergolas, the list is endless.
You get so much bang for your buck with vines because they only take up a small amount of garden planting space since they grow outwards from a single trunk.
This leaves you plenty of space for other plantings in your garden.
Some vines need no support as they use suckers to cling to the surface they are growing on.
Some vines have aerial roots whereas some others twist themselves around a support structure and require a trellis or wire (examples include wisteria).
Most vines are easily trained and are typically fast growing (apart from the aforementioned wisteria!).
If you are short on outside space then vines are perfect.
You get a big display, often with a scent without too much intrusion on your small plot.
Vines offer more than just decoration.
They can provide privacy and shelter from the elements.
A simple trellis covered with jasmine will become a beautifully fragrant privacy screen very quickly.
If you are planting a vine for shade from the summer sun then you might want to consider a deciduous variety so that your shady summer spot is not too cold in winter.
Even without such specific requirements most people have an ugly wall that would look better with a floral covering.
You are not restricted to the summer months for blooming vines, winter bloomers are also available.
Mixing the varieties in your garden is a good way to get year-round displays.
If planting together, pick vines that grow at about the same rate and to a similar size.
In terms of siting and care, most vines like full sun sites.
If you live in a cold climate then give evergreen vines a sheltered south facing spot.
You don't need to do anything special with soil, just enrich it with compost and if it is well-drained soil you should not have any problems.
Most vines in coastal areas do not need watering as the rainfall should be enough.
Evergreens should be kept moist.
One thing you must not overlook is pruning.
Do this once a year; spring-flowering vines should be pruned after they bloom whereas summer or autumn-flowering vines should be pruned in the winter.
General tips include checking your support ties regularly to ensure they do not cut into the stems.
Also if you know that a vine will require staking, do it when you plant the vine so you do not shock the roots later on.
If you need to access a wall that a vine is growing on you can create a removable plant screen, perhaps by planting a suitable twinning plant and have it grow over a removable wooden frame.
Hopefully this has given you a good overview of how you can introduce beautiful flowering vines into your garden.
Vines are almost without equal in the beauty of the floral displays they produce.
They can be used as screens, wall coverings, decorations for structures like pergolas, the list is endless.
You get so much bang for your buck with vines because they only take up a small amount of garden planting space since they grow outwards from a single trunk.
This leaves you plenty of space for other plantings in your garden.
Some vines need no support as they use suckers to cling to the surface they are growing on.
Some vines have aerial roots whereas some others twist themselves around a support structure and require a trellis or wire (examples include wisteria).
Most vines are easily trained and are typically fast growing (apart from the aforementioned wisteria!).
If you are short on outside space then vines are perfect.
You get a big display, often with a scent without too much intrusion on your small plot.
Vines offer more than just decoration.
They can provide privacy and shelter from the elements.
A simple trellis covered with jasmine will become a beautifully fragrant privacy screen very quickly.
If you are planting a vine for shade from the summer sun then you might want to consider a deciduous variety so that your shady summer spot is not too cold in winter.
Even without such specific requirements most people have an ugly wall that would look better with a floral covering.
You are not restricted to the summer months for blooming vines, winter bloomers are also available.
Mixing the varieties in your garden is a good way to get year-round displays.
If planting together, pick vines that grow at about the same rate and to a similar size.
In terms of siting and care, most vines like full sun sites.
If you live in a cold climate then give evergreen vines a sheltered south facing spot.
You don't need to do anything special with soil, just enrich it with compost and if it is well-drained soil you should not have any problems.
Most vines in coastal areas do not need watering as the rainfall should be enough.
Evergreens should be kept moist.
One thing you must not overlook is pruning.
Do this once a year; spring-flowering vines should be pruned after they bloom whereas summer or autumn-flowering vines should be pruned in the winter.
General tips include checking your support ties regularly to ensure they do not cut into the stems.
Also if you know that a vine will require staking, do it when you plant the vine so you do not shock the roots later on.
If you need to access a wall that a vine is growing on you can create a removable plant screen, perhaps by planting a suitable twinning plant and have it grow over a removable wooden frame.
Hopefully this has given you a good overview of how you can introduce beautiful flowering vines into your garden.
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