Vines

Discussion in 'Vines and Climbers' started by staplehill, Oct 17, 2009.

  1. staplehill

    staplehill Member

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    I want to cover a portion of the fence on the West side of my back yard, in order to make the area there more interesting. A friend suggested Boston Ivy but I've heard so much about ivy being an extremely invasive plant and am hesitating about using it. I'd be grateful of have opinions on the advisability of planting Boston Ivy, and whether it is considered less threatening than some of the other ivies. I've also heard that Boston Ivy can be poisonous and wonder whether, should my dog decide to chew on the leaves (after he's eaten some of my tomatoes) he might suffer ill effects.

    If Boston Ivy is a bad idea, can anyone suggest another plant? Thanks.
     
  2. rainin

    rainin Active Member

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    Why not try a nice climbing rose or two?
     
  3. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

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    ivy would not be a good choice as it is invasive and very hard to get rid of once established.

    a couple of nice rambler roses would work perfectly. plant one at each end and train the canes to grow towards each other and the area will be covered within a few years.
     
  4. rainin

    rainin Active Member

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    Excellent suggestion Joclyn!
     
  5. staplehill

    staplehill Member

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    Two votes for climbing roses from rainin and joclyn! Thank you both.
     
  6. Blake09

    Blake09 Active Member

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    Climbing cypress is a good Idea.
     
  7. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

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    here's a pic of mine from last year (didn't take any this year). this is two ramblers planted about 8 feet apart and the canes are draped over the top of the picket fencing.

    i transplanted from the neighbors yard and they'd all been cut down to just about nothing and didn't know what was what until they started growing - if i'd known what type these two were, i'd have placed them differently (further apart). i moved a total of 7 roses - only these two are ramblers, the others are bush types.

    much more growth happened since these pics were taken in spring of 08 (we had ideal conditions this year to promote rapid growth). some of the main canes are over 70 feet long now and the side shoots have also grown - some of those are about 8 feet.

    i transplanted them in 04 and they were about a foot in size at the time and didn't really do any substantial growing until summer 06. we had a mild winter that year and they never really went dormant, so, had extra growth that year. and have really gone nuts since then too - again, winters haven't been all that bad here (except for the one year).

    they're both planted in the area shown in the third pic - one off to the right of the pole and the other to the left of it. all canes are facing towards the house rather than towards the back of the yard (which is the far right side of the third pic). there is a little duplication of area in the pics, so, kind of looks larger than it is...never did get around to combining/overlapping the first two - the third is a different angle, so, couldn't do the overlap with all three for the panaramic view i was trying for...

    anyhoo, it'll give you an idea of what you can expect in a few years, if you opt for ramblers.

    the last pic is a view from directly at the porch and up along the fence.
     

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  8. rainin

    rainin Active Member

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    Wow!!
     
  9. chimera

    chimera Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Maybe some kinds of clematis. Easy to work with, control, and a varied bloom season.
     
  10. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    The locally prevalent weedy ivy is Hedera helix. Boston ivy is Parthenocissus tricuspidata. These are two unrelated, different plants. However, the Parthenocissus does produce a large, vigorous growth that clings to surfaces. At this time of the year its leaves turn showy colors, then drop to expose its root-like network of stems.

    In addition to clematis a natural companion for climbing roses is honeysuckle.
     
  11. vickieg

    vickieg Active Member

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    You might also consider kiwi. There is a fuzzy variety developed in Saanichton or you could go with a hardy or artic kiwi. The male artic one is a beautiful vine and if you get male and female of the fuzzy or hardy you'll get wonderful fruit. We planted the fuzzy variety to cover a chainlink fence. It's quite vigorous and tries to span 10' + of lawn to climb fir trees.
     
  12. Blake09

    Blake09 Active Member

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    I just have to point this out, staplehill lives in a cold area and needs vines that are hardy to below frezing tempatures. Not tropical vines unless he/she wants to dig them up every winter.

    :)
     
  13. staplehill

    staplehill Member

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    I'm very grateful for all who have taken the trouble to respond to my questions. That rose of yours is gorgeous Joclyn! Because of space restrictions I think the clematis/honeysuckle combination might best suit this particular spot, because I need a plant that will not grow out too far from the fence - i.e. something that isn't too bushy, since sometimes I have to park my car in the area beside the fence, in a rather narrow space. I have a a friend who has successfully grown kiwi for a number of years and it is a good idea but I am a bit leery about having it around because I have a daughter who is extremely allergic to kiwi. (Life gets complicated, what with my tomato-eating dog and highly-allergic-to-kiwi daughter!
    Lastly, the point about my living in an area where temperatures fall below zero is certainly valid.
    Many thanks to all who have responded.
     
  14. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

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    the rose can be trimmed back to keep it managable...mine is a bit out of control due to medical issues that keep me from being able to do all the maintenance that needs to be done :(

    honeysuckle, unless it's a native to north america can be invasive. maybe think about passion fruit vine?? some varieties should be hardy for you and then you'd avoid the daughter-allergic-to-kiwi issue (unless she's allergic to pf, too! )
     
  15. staplehill

    staplehill Member

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    Thanks again Joclyn; now all I have to do is make a decision! I sympathize with you over your medical issues, especially because I'm dealing with a similar situation. Good luck
     

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