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Vines take your gardening to new heights

By Carol O'Meara, Special to the Rocky

Published May 1, 2008 at 7 p.m.
Updated May 1, 2008 at 7:33 p.m.

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Mandarin honeysuckle

Mandarin honeysuckle

Sweet Autumn clematis

Sweet Autumn clematis

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Looking to find privacy in the yard, but can't wait until those trees finally gain some height? For creating a sense of suburban seclusion or achieving Zen in the urban jungle, set your sights high and think vines.

These weaving wonders add dimension to gardens and cover up eyesores with fragrant flowers and luxurious foliage. Provide the right support and your garden will rise to new heights in backyard design.

Vines grip trellises several ways, so choose yours carefully and read about the vine before planting. Those that twine around their frameworks need help getting the idea. When young, gently loop the leaders in a fan shape along fences, cables or latticework to train them. Vines that clasp by tendrils don't need help finding support; the trick is to keep them from throttling everything within their grasp. Encourage them to find the trellis by twirling tendrils and shoots about the frame.

Suction cups and adventitious roots - those growing along stems - need walls or fences with texture to climb. But be careful, though these look good on houses, this type of vine often damages brick or adobe.

Mandarin Honeysuckle (Lonicera x. "Mandarin")

* Plant specs: Stunning orange-red flowers with light orange throats stop hummingbirds in their tracks, and they'll happily revisit this plant throughout the season. Coppery tinged new leaves gradually mature to glossy green, giving this vine a patchwork of color.

* Size: 20 feet

* Zone: 4

* How to grow: Honeysuckle twines around support, so plant this in full sun and guide the tendrils to weave along fences, over arbors, or up older trees.

* Where to find: Timberline Gardens, 11700 W. 58th Ave., Arvada, 303-420-4060, timberlinegardens.com

Wisteria spp.

* Plant specs: Classic, elegant wisteria drapes deep purple flowers on a woody, long-lived vine. Perfumed and showy, wisteria makes a dramatic arbor or doorway arch.

* Size: 30 feet

* Zone: 5

* How to grow: Because the flower buds swell early, put wisteria in a protected location to keep late frosts from nipping blossoms. Once established, prune them twice per year: a light pruning in midsummer to remove wispy growth and a hard pruning back to two buds in winter.

* Where to find: Wilmore Nurseries, 711 E. County Line Road, Littleton, 303-795-5339, wilmorenurseries.com/

Sweet Autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata)

* Plant specs: If you have a large area that needs screening, try this rampant, sweet-smelling vine. The white blossoms and silvery seed heads show very well against plants with colorful fall foliage.

* Size: 20 feet

* Zone: 4

* How to grow: Like all clematis, the roots prefer to be cool but the tops like it warm, so pick a sunny spot and mulch it at planting. Give this plant a sturdy support in a carefully chosen area, as it can easily cover an entire auto in several seasons.

* Where to find: Tagawa Garden Center, 7711 S. Parker Road, Centennial, 303-690-4722, tagawagardens.com.

Carol O'Meara, a local gardening expert, may be reached at omearac@yahoo.com

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