Vining flowers and fruits offer the chance to grow more plants in less space. I’m all for that! Most vines need full sun, proper soil, water and fertility to grow their best. But they also have the ability to grow towards the sun in shady spots. They have multiple uses in the landscape, such as hiding unsightly views or providing shade. Before you plant vines, first think about where they will be growing and their function. Here are some possible places to grow vines.
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Food Production on a Wire– Grapes and kiwis are rampant growing vines, but they’re very amenable to being tamed. If you have a 3 foot wide sunny area along a house or garage, consider building a trellis to grow grapes and kiwis. Train them to a sturdy wire strung between wooden posts and prune off 70% of the vines each spring to keep them productive and inbounds.
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A Shady Nook- You can also grow vines to provide shade. Consider building a sturdy arbor or pergola and train grapes, kiwis, wisteria and clematis to provide color, fruit and shade. You won’t have to prune them as much, but they may need help getting started on the posts. Consider using VELCRO® Brand plant ties to support the young vines as they climb.
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A Visual Screen- If you have an unsightly wall or fence, you can grow vines to cover the structure and provide beauty as well. Clematis, Virginia creeper and silver fleece vine are just some of the vines that can climb fences with little help.
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An Indoor Jungle- Even if you don’t have room outside for vines, some houseplants, such as philodendron and ivy, can be trained along a wall or over a window indoors to provide a jungle-like appearance in your home.
Have any questions for Charlie? Leave them in the comments below or tweet us @velcrobrand. Your answer could be up on the blog next. Until then, happy gardening!
