One of the most beautiful sights in a garden is when the garden architect incorporates some vertical elements, drawing the eye up toward the sky. Probably the quickest way to achieve verticality in your garden is by installing vines to grow on arches and trellises.
I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite, easy-to-care-for vines which are not only vigorous, but also beautiful. The list includes vines which can be planted in a wide range of growing zones and are generally hardy in cold weather.
One note before you plant: whenever you are planning for large vines, make sure that you have the proper, sturdy support with secure footings because some of these large vining plants can get very heavy after a few years of growth!
Roses
We all love roses! There are so many quotes in our language about roses; from Shakespeare to Sherlock Holmes. Why do we love roses? They are great choices because not only are they lovely and graceful, but they are sturdy, grow in a wide variety of conditions and temperature zones, and they bloom for much of the spring and summer. And there are so many varieties to choose from.
While there are lots a fabulous climbing rose choices, if you are looking for fast growth and easy-peasy care, there is no more obvious choice than Cecile Brunner. One of the absolute best Vines to Grow on Arches and Trellises is the beloved Cecile Brunner Rose.
Cecile Brunner is vigorous, fast-growing and mostly thornless. Her flowers are double, and a lovely pale pink color. Best of all, this rose can be planted either in sun or in partial shade. Blooming in spring, once established Cecile will provide thousands of small flowers all along the runners.
Another great option is the New Dawn Rose. Similar in many ways to Cecile Brunner, New Dawn has much larger flowers. This trait makes new Dawn a true stunner in the garden. However, be advised with those gorgeous big flowers, New Dawn also comes with many more thorns than Cecile Brunner Rose has.
Wisteria Flutescens (American Wisteria)
Another of my favorite vines to grow on Arches and Trellises is wisteria. American Wisteria is a graceful, weeping grower that is extremely vigorous and incredibly disease resistant. Blooming all at once in the spring, wisteria certainly puts on an amazing show. After the blooms are spent, she turns green through the summer until the cold weather comes. At that point she drops all her leaves and the bare vines hibernate through the winter until the next spring.
American Wisteria is native to the American southeast and performs well in both colder and dry areas. However, Asian varieties can actually be invasive and strangle neighboring trees, and should be avoided in the garden.
American Wisteria is far easier to control and needs much less trimming to keep it in check. It has a lovely, gentle scent and its grape-like clusters of flowers emerge as one of the earliest blooms of the spring.
Always grow wisteria from a nursery plant or a cutting, as seeds are often variable from their parent plant, and will take 10 or more years to produce blooms, and sometimes they don’t bloom at all. Plant wisteria in full sun for the best display of flowers, and refrain from fertilization, as wisteria prefer neglect.
Clematis
Clematis are lovely, hardy plants which come back every year. Blooming in spring or summer, clematis grows on much more delicate vines than either rose canes or wisteria, and can be a bit more fragile. They can grow just as large though. And, they are a true vining plant in that they produce tendrils which wrap around the fence or trellis.
If you live in an area that gets frost and snow, be sure to select a hardy variety when selecting clematis plants, because not all clematis are able to survive freezing temperatures. Also, there are three different varieties which determine how and when to prune for best blooming, so you will definitely need to determine which makes the most sense for you before ever taking your pruners out.
For more information on growing clematis, refer to this informative Almanac article for planting, growing, and pruning tips.
Passionflower
Passionflowers are amazing! I include them here because they are a wildly fast growing perennial vine, able to survive a wide variety of soil and sun conditions. And they look so exotic. But they prefer temperature zones of 7 and above, so if you live in a region colder than that, you may need to plant this on your sunniest wall or accept it as an annual vine.
Like Clematis, it is a true vine producing tendrils that make it a great cover for both ugly fences and beautiful arches. It is a great selection to intermingle on the same arch with a spring-blooming vine (such as jasmine), because when the other vine is finished blooming, your passionflower will be just ready to start. And passionflower tends not to strangle other vines out, either.
My favorite characteristic though, is that, like wisteria, passionflower thrive when neglected. Even gophers don’t seem to bother this vine. And they attract butterflies, which is a huge bonus in my book.
These are just some of the vines we grow here on the farm on our many arches, trellises and fences. Thanks for checking in and see you on the next blog post 🙂
