Gardening Question of the Week
What’s a Good Vine for Screening?
Thursday February 28, 2008
Alfred wrote: “We live on the seventh floor of our retirement home with a deck that has a south exposure to full sun during the afternoon. We're looking for some climbing plants that we can plant on one side of the deck. Any suggestions?"
I'm a firm believer that just about anything that grows in the ground will grow in a pot. I gave Alfred my top choices for vines and also mentioned that he might like to use the space to grow some vining vegetables. Squash, poll beans or even tall sunflowers would love the full sun exposure. We're open for suggestions. What vines have you grown successfully in containers?
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Comments
There is a bean called the hyacinth bean that makes beautiful lavender flowers, and lovely dark purple pods. It grows quickly and I believe the beans are edible too.
Potatoe vines are great screening vines and they grow like wildfire, also morning glories.
Regarding good vines, my favorite, Carolina Jasmine, is evergreen, giving you coverage all year. Pretty yellow flowers in early spring, sometimes repeating.
Trumpet Vine from your list of favorites is horribly invasive. It takes over everything & roots wherever it touches. It took several yrs. to get rid of it - even came back up in cracks in the concrete patio! Do not plant this creep!
Stephanie has a point, trumpet vine can be an aggressive grower. But I don’t think it’s been designated as invasive. Certainly not everywhere. It is probably a safer bet for gardeners with very cold winters. It will still try to travel, once established, but I have had not problem controlling the one I’ve had for about 7 years now. I have found it worth the extra effort.
I thought this email I got from Robert might be of interest: I LIVE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, WHERE THE SUMMERS ARE QUITE FRANKLY, BRUTALLY HORENDOUS. MY HOME HAS A FULL WEST EXPOSURE THAT ACTUALLY IS WORSE THAN A SOUTHERN EXPOSURE. I HAVE GROWN JASMINES TO PROVIDE AFTERNOON RELIEF. OF COURSE, THEY MUST HAVE HIGH HUMIDITY, CONSTANT ROOT MOISTURE, AND LIGHT FEEDINGS. AS AN ADDED BONUS, BLOOMS WHICH SMELL GLORIOUS AND EVERGREEN FOLIAGE. THIS PLANT IS WELL WORTH THE EFFORT. SINCERELY, RMS
I agree with Nancy. I have grown Hyacinth Bean Vine for years in MI. It is an annual here, but grows very quickly in the spring and gives many seeds in the fall. It needs a trellis or something to climb on, I use fish line to string it along where I want it after it has outgrown the trellis.