There's something very satisfying about growing flowering annual vines. In one short season, they're up, they scale the tallest thing they can grab hold of, then they burst into bloom. And you can have something entirely different next year.
I like the way they surprise me by poking out of nearby plants. I'm generally a very tidy gardener, but I cut the vines some slack, because they are so reliable as end of season color. Who am I to contain their enthusiasm. If they're happy, I'm happy.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Comments
this fall i saw a vining plant that i cant seem to find on the net. it sort of looked like a clematis, except the stems were more fleshy than woody. the flowers were brilliant orange that reminded me somewhat of tithonia but not as large. somewhere i found a pic of it, then i moved on and now cant find it! i believe it was called flameflower, but i cant bring it up on my search sites. it was so pretty, still blooming after several frosts. i did snip a couple seed heads. im hoping to start it in the spring. i just dont know if its a perrineal or annual or if it will grow from seed. ideas for some vining plants, try pole beans on the porch, we just go out and pick them for dinner. they also make a nice shade! happy holidays!
My morning glories went crazy this year. I started off with planting hot pink,hot purple,blue and then added moon flowers for evening color. I used two t posts and about 6feet of chain link fence (which worked great because the vines were so thick and heavy.) well by end of summer they cross bred and gave amazing new colors . I live on michigan so the vine is sup. to be annual but with a thick mulch they will come back…I am collecting tons of seeds, if anyone would like to do some trading!!! I have a lot of flowers and house plants!!!
I’d never skip planting hyacinth bean, and I always have some cypress vine whether I want it or not (good thing I like it!). For foliage though you can’t beat Malabar spinach, especially the purple-stemmed variety. I also love Vigna caracalla, but make sure you get one of the “good” ones that are fragrant.
Wow, Leslie, I’m impressed that you can over-winter morning glories. I’m even more jealous that you got new colors. Mine never even seem to bloom like the photos on the package.
Alan, I never thought to grow Malabar spinach just for the foliage. (Lately there are a lot of comments about things I never thought to do, lol.)
Is Vigna caracalla corkscrew vine? I’ve never grown that. Any suggestions for varieties to try?
Dot, what you may be looking for is Mexican Flame Vine (Senecio confusus), very fast grower here in South Texas, popular with bees and butterflies. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1329/