Hey guys, not sure if this Is the right spot since i am located in new york but ill give it a shot my wife and i wanna cover our pergola with a vine however we dont know where to start. The pergola is 20x12. Located on long island new york so we have seasons first and foremost the vine must be dog friendly so non toxic only we narrowed it down to start jasmine or climbing roses. Climbing roses seem difficult but that could just be bc were new to this. Star jasmine seems easier any suggestions? We love honeysuckle but read the fruit is toxic to dogs we like grapvines but grapes kill dogs. I read on here you can get a fruitless grapevine? also hear that kiwi is a great choice but dont know much about it basically we want an attractive vine thats dog friendly. Any suggestions. Sorry for the long first post.
Hello NY This forum is a focus on gardens and native plants in Pacific NW of North America - and is sponsored by the botanical garden at the Univ of British Columbia (campus in Vancouver BC & campus on the “dry side” in Kelowna BC THAT SAID My first thought is to look at Martha Stewart (given her media seem to focus on her gardens etc) Wisteria? Clematis ? No ivy! Roses have thorns - dog paws ? Kiwi is great unless you have rats and raccoons in your neighbourhood (my experience) — plus kiwi has an odd odour. Here is one link fr a quick search of Martha ... and it cites as well the NYBG which is likely a useful source of info and inspiration more specific to your part of this continent. Take care NY!How to Grow and Care for Wisteria
Hey thanks for Your reply. I will check Out the nybg but hopefully someone here can help as well. Wisteria and clemantis are both toxic to dogs unfortunately. We would love wisteria but its seeds and seed pod can kill a dog
Just to point out, we do welcome questions from all over the world (although this was posted in the PNW North America section originally, so I moved it here) Brooklyn Botanic Garden has put out an excellent guide on growing vines, including a list of potential options for your region. You'll have to do the research on pet-friendliness, though... Growing Vines Successfully - Brooklyn Botanic Garden
I like the kiwi vine however. Is there a way to grow it wothkut getting any fruit. Maybe just male trees?
This isn't an answer, but I'm wondering from your question if it's just the female plants that smell so bad.
Yes, you may grow Actinidia of one sex only, and you won't get any fruits then. I have one plant in my garden for 30 years already, and I never saw any fruits on it. The opposite sex died few years after the pair was planted, because of especially cold winter, and I haven't replaced it since then. I haven't noticed any smell coming from my A. kolomikta.
A few self fruitful cultivars of A. arguta are in commerce. But the main particular point of choosing a kiwi over another climber would be the fruit production, so it would seem another, entirely different genus of climber would be chosen anyway. Otherwise vigorous kinds like kiwi and wisteria are capable of filling up a 20' x 12' structure and then some, it will be necessary to choose carefully so that the size potential of the climber matches the size of the support. Even then some repeated attention to pruning and training is an expected requirement, because the "host" is an architectural feature with a precisely defined shape and limited size. Rather than something like a large natural habit tree that the climber can be left to grow throughout, without restraint. As in the Lam Asian Garden at UBC, where multiple different climbers have grown high up into tall native conifers.
Hi NY, how about Golden Hops. They don’t have pretty flowers but the hops are unusual and the vines grow like mad and aren’t invasive. The vine tends to have tendril like appearance. we have a few planted over arches and up pergolas and trellis. Just a thought.
