Okay let me preface this by saying that I realize I'm asking a lot. I know very little about plants, but I know there a LOT of them, and I'm a little overwhelmed trying to find one that suits all of my needs, and thought maybe you guys could point me in the right direction. I'm in a woodsy area of Rhode Island, lots of shade and not much in the way of soil. (I'm originally from Illinois so I'm used to seeing the rich black dirt..and that's not here. It's very sandy.) We have a chain link fence in our backyard, 6 ft high. The backyard is mainly used as our dogs' play area. They're pretty good about not eating plants, but they're unsupervised back there sometimes, and I don't want to take stupid risks. I'm a photographer who mainly works with dogs and children, and oftentimes use this area for photoshoots as well. Frankly, the plants are going to have to withstand a bit of leg lifting action. The chain link..is ugly. So I'm looking for something pretty that will cover it up. It does get some sun, but I wouldn't want to plant anything that needs several hours a day of direct sunlight. I'd LOVE pretty flowers, or at least serious visual interest. New England gets pretty harsh winters, heavy snow, below freezing temperatures. We get a lot of deer and rabbits (like I said, we're in the woods, and amazingly the smell and hair of multiple large dogs doesn't seem to deter them), so whatever it is would need to account for that. Also..I'd like to promise that I'll take great care of it, but realistically, it would probably do best if it were able to pretty much care for itself. I don't really care if it's an annual or not, deciduous or not. Key elements are: Heavy cover, hardy, deer resistant, non toxic to dogs, (if it's bitter tasting and not really TOXIC, just might upset their stomachs a LITTLE, I might be negotiated with on this.) and low maintenance, and prettiness. A climber would be preferable, because in my humble opinion it will go best with the look of the woods and unkempt land that we have here. But if anyone knows of anything else that will fit the bill, by all means I'm open to hearing about it! (I do have some diggers though, so big areas of loose soil and/or mulch will just get overturned.) Thanks in advance!
I was fascinated by Porcelainberry Vine when visiting a daughter in Cape Cod quite a number of years ago now... the berries looked gorgeous, almost technicolor bright blue, on the light side of blue, rather hard or at least firm, also growing in sandy soil near a beach in a garden, and while I was living in Nova Scotia she sent me some to plant up there. The one I planted had variegated leaves, took about 3 years settle in but then I could see it might start a fairly vigorous stay! It's called Ampelopsis brevipedunculata and in this web site treated as a runaway invading plant: http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/ambr1.htm and see the discussion on this forum: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/iowa/msg082327495792.html Since your terrain sounds a bit rough to maintain it might be tough enough to do the job, if planted along the fence and trained as a vine -- it is a vine, and would climb over it...
Thanks for responding! Those are very interesting looking! But, it says in that thread that it poses a threat to nearby woods and vegetation, so maybe not a good idea for my neighborhood. We have a TON of really gorgeous woods around, lots of wildlife. I wouldn't want to be responsible for killing even a little of it. That makes me question whether or not climbers are even a good idea if they're going to become a problem? I thought of something else after I posted this, one of my dogs is allergic to bees. Not an immediately deadly allergy, but if I don't give her benadryl within an hour or so after she's stung, her throat does swell up and things can get ugly. So it wouldn't be wise of me to plant anything that's super attractive to bees. I feel like one of those idiots that are looking for a dog that doesn't bark, shed, drool, chew, require any grooming or have any health problems. I always tell those people "What you need is a plant". Oh the irony...
I love your sense of humor! We all need more of that. Oh, these reports of wildly invasive plants sort of annoy me. Honestly, if a plant doesn't grow to fill a space it is considered sort of useless -- the ideal plant seems to be a well-behaved shrub, which grows big enough to be seen, but doesn't spread everywhere... like Weigelia shrubs. They aren't ideal either -- I have a neighbour who thinks they take too long to leaf out in the spring [its slowness for the leaves to reach full size wouldn't be remarked upon in a colder climate like Eastern Canada]. If a plant does spread out or grow quite well, it is considered invasive... we are looking for the perfect plant that does just what we tell it. I loved the Porcelainberry because it grew in dry hot sandy soil and looked brightly coloured almost like a necklace... it's not going to fill up your yard, I don't believe. Plus now that you mention the bee problem, the flowers are small and unnoticeable and I don't think attracts them -- it's the berries that are so bright and painted-looking. Train the stems to go along the fence, and to grow laterally that way... I'd do it. I don't believe everything I read -- even English Ivy looks great in one condo landscape job nearby here, it is clipped and trained and restrained, maybe twice a year, and covers up a bank near a busy street that is just perfectly free now of weeds or difficult slopes to mow, etc...
Maypops (Passiflora incarnata) might fit the bill for you as well. If I recall correctly, it's a native vine in your area (therefore, it's hardy for you), so you wouldn't have to worry about it invading your neighbouring woodlands....
