Vines, Beautiful Climbing Coverage

By Jos Van Hage

Perennial and deciduous vines are those vines that are there for more than just one season. They can cover an unsightly wall, climb up an arbor, trellis, or pergola, trail along a fence or wall, or provide a privacy  screen. There are some beautiful perennial vines that are hardy for our Prince George climate and grow very well here.

Clematis vines are one of  the favorites because of their pretty flowers and the many different  varieties there are to choose from. Flowers tend to be single and range in  size from 1-10 inches. The plants will grow up to 30 feet tall but most often grow 8-12 feet. They are easy to grow if grown in the right conditions. Most varieties like full sun (unless otherwise stated on the label) but the roots like to be cool. To keep the roots cool, you can place mulch around the base of the plant, or plant a shallow rooted, low growing plant close to the clematis.

Honey suckle vines are an attractive twining vine that produce beautiful flowers throughout the summer that attract humming birds. The hardiest variety for our area is the scarlet  orange flowered 'Dropmore Scarlet' which was developed in Manitoba. Both clematis and honeysuckle vines need support to help them climb. There is  also a climbing rose that does well here, and that is the John Davis rose.

Another popular vine is the Virginia Creeper or Engleman Ivy. These do not have the showy flowers but are grown for their beautiful foliage. The fan shaped leaves are a shiny green with saw-toothed edges. It is in the fall when the Virginia Creeper is really noticed as the foliage turns a bright red. These are good vines for climbing up on masonry, stucco, or brick as the plant has clinging tendrils. Also easy to grow as they will tolerate most soils and prefer full sun to partial shade.

Bittersweet is another twining vine that has small rounded leaves. It produces small greenish flowers in summer but in the fall is when it looks its best as the flowers become a black fruit that splits open and reveals a yellow inside filled with red seeds if it is a female. It is very hardy for up to -45 Celsius  and prefers full sun. If you are looking for a fast growing vine the Hop is a very fast grower. Unlike other vines though, it dies back to ground  level each fall and starts again in the spring.

If you are looking for a vine that produces fruit then you should try Valiant Grapes. They have proven to be hardy for our area and do produce grapes in September that are good either eaten fresh or used in jams and jellies. Plant in full sun and water regularly.

-Jos
    

Jos Van Hage owns two Art Knapp Garden Centres in the Prince George area:

• Highway 16 West at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road and Aberdeen

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