Do you love the look of a romantic cottage garden? Flowering vines can help you achieve a lush garden quickly with upright color and texture and best of all they don’t require a ton of work! Here are 5 Easy and Effortless Vines you are sure to love!
Sweet Caroline…sing it with me! I adore this vine, Carolina Jessamine, the state flower of South Carolina.It blooms with sunny yellow one inch flowers in the spring and will sometimes make a repeat showing in the fall depending on your zone. I’m in zone 8 but this vine is hardy in zones 6-9.
My Carolina Jessamine is in full bloom right now! This is one plant people! I planted it 2 years ago next to the post you see below. That portion of the deck is 14 feet long! The vine will grow up to 20 feet long. This is one vine that performs! It will need some occasional pruning. I prune it twice a summer to keep it neat and tidy. Just take some pruners to runaway vines and start clipping. If you have deer issues, then you’ll love this vine, because the deer won’t touch it.
Unlike the Carolina Jessamine, which has little to no scent, Honeysuckle Vine will drench the air with it’s sweet perfume on a hot summer’s night. I remember my college days, driving home to Virginia Beach from Richmond in my little convertible, breathing in the heavy, sweet scent of the Honeysuckle Vine growing in the trees along the interstate. They are a very aggressive vine, which is great if you want quick results. They are drought tolerant and prefer full sun, but don’t mind some shade. Butterflies and bumble bees love them. The Honeysuckle vine grows in zones 5-9, and come in red, orange, and yellow, and some varieties are even evergreen.
Another favorite vine that you will often find climbing arbors and mailbox posts is Clematis. Clematis varieties can bloom either in the fall or spring and evergreen varieties are also available. They produce a flush of flowers anywhere from 4 to 6 inches in diameter and come in a huge range of color choices. These are easily grown in zones 3-9.
Wisteria is a vigorous vine that oozes romance! For all you Twilight fans, you will recognize white wisteria in the wedding scene of Breaking Dawn. Many gardeners curse its over zealous nature but quickly forgive when spring enfolds long, dripping petals of purple and white. They have a heavy perfume and bloom for a few weeks. This classic vine will require pruning once it takes off, but there are many dwarf varieties available.
If you are in need of quick and dense screening, then you’ll love Cypress Vine! It’s lush and lacy foliage is great for a patio or deck. With months of five point start blooms, this vine is a showstopper! It grows 12-25 feet, loves the sun, and isn’t picky about it’s soil.
Get out in the garden and add some colorful texture with easy and effortless vines! For more garden tips be sure to check out the Gardening Tab at the top of this page!
Kim
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Just a tip! I have Yellow Jasmine and love it, but it’s highly toxic, which is why the wont touch it. A single petal has been known to be fatal to children. http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_yellow_jessamine.htm
I’ve been looking for a vine to grown in my backyard. Does Clematis do well in part shade?
Hi Maury! Did you mean Jessamine rather than Jasmine? Carolina Jessamine’s sap from the inside of the vine can be an irritant to sensitive individuals, though I’ve never had a reaction. If a child were to suck the nectar from the flowers, then yes, that would be toxic. I advise any parent to not allow their child to suck on any flower, no matter what type it is. 🙂 You asked about Clematis and shade. They will do just fine in partial shade, especially the lighter pastel shades. They like their heads in the sun and their feet in the shade.
Thanks for the tips! I grew up with Wisteria so I am partial to it, brings back so many nice memories, but the honeysuckle is my favorite, you can’t beat that smell.
Do you have any vine ideas for a shady space? I have an ugly chain link fence that I would love to hide under pretty flowers …
🙂
Linda
Morning glory is a gorgeous vine with large periwinkle blue flowers, but is often considered a weed around here. I love it though!! It likes cooler temps and shade. 🙂
I love that Carolina Jessamine. We’re building a new trellis and that would be perfect growing on it.
Oh yes, a trellis is perfect! I’d love to have an arched arbor over my fence gates with vines cascading down.
lovely ideas xo
Is there also a Confederate Jasmine? I live in Beaufort, SC and want to try to plant in on my picket fence…..
Yes there is! Jasmine produces white flowers and is very fragrant, unlike Jessamine, which has little to no scent. It is also a very vigorous vine and is found in the southeast. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Kim – We live in Lagua Niguel, California and loved this post. We bought “Sweet Broom” yesterday for the front yard. The tag has “Deer Resistant” on it! So funny and I thought of you. It is yellow and smells wonderful. I thought it was the same vine you had posted. Thank you so much! Your California friend by the sea – Cori
Thank you Cori! Laguna Niguel is one of my favorite places to visit.
i live in the Chicago area. Need a vine in partly shady area by fence. Something hardy that I can’t kill. Any suggestions?
Hi Jan! I found this great article that recommends vines for Illinois! The Chicago is in growing zone 6a because it is close to Lake Michigan which keeps it a bit warmer. But the majority of the state is in zone 5. Though this article recommends ivy, I highly discourage planting ivy, it can be very invasive and eventually will kill any tree that it attaches to. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/vines/perennials.cfm
I’m buying a new house in League City, Texas. I’m highly allergic, but I like beautiful flowers in the yard. Any ideas?
Hi Billie! I’m on the east coast so I couldn’t really give good advice for plants that grow in TX. But here is a link to an article about the best and worst flowers for allergy sufferers. Hope it helps. http://gardening.about.com/od/allergiesarthritis/fl/Best-and-Worst-Flowers-for-Allergy-Sufferers.htm