So, this is the year that I am going to try to grow some vines around the exterior of my house. I want it to look as cottage-y & storybook as possible.
If I had it my way I would have ivy growing up every exterior wall & crevice.
However, my DH has very bad memories of our first home & cleaning dead ivy off the brick with a power hose for hours upon hours. He also doesn’t want it to creep into the foundation.
So, I’m trying to get the look with planters and other viney-looking plants. I must admit that I have no idea what I am doing, but I do know the look I want. All this to say, I’ve been looking at getting a trellis and love this one from Terrain. Not alway the cheapest place to buy acessories for the home, but every once in a while they carry something that is special and worth it.
I want something that looks natural until all the ivy, ahem, flowery vines grow up it. I know I must have some green thumb readers out there. Any tips on how to get vines to grow? I’m trying to get something like this. Easier said than done?
I’m like you. I wish I could plant WISTERIA all around our house. It’s so pretty when it blooms. I keep trying to sneak some in here and there, but hubby isn’t going for it. (BTW, Wisteria is NOT something you can sneak into the landscape without your husband noticing…lol). We actually own a garden center, so I have lots of things to choose from, but seems everytime I decide on something it ‘mysteriously’ sells because hubby sees the $$$$ behind my expensive vegitation taste and sells all of my plants!! There actaully is a variety of wisteria that is not quite as invasive (yet it’s not quite as pretty, too. Mother Nature’s trick on us, I suppose). We sell a lot of Clematis (sometimes they don’t bloom first year after planting) they really need full sun, Morning Glory, Lady Bank’s Roses & Confederate Jasmine.
We are in Tennessee, so I don’t think our zone is THAT different from yours, but check on that first. Good luck. I’m sure your viney plants will be beautiful! As long as you keep them pruned they will be beautiful!!
Christen,
I had to smile when I read the previous comment about Clematis. My mom always said they like their head in sunshine and their feet in shade. Mom always liked hostas at their “feet”. You may also pick several that will bloom at different times. Mom had a white one that bloomed early and a deep purple later with pretty green leaves all summer.
I can see your husband’s point of view. When wife and I bought our house 6+ year ago the building inspector poined out the ivy climbing up the brick chimney was also stuck to the siding and creeping across the windows and the soffit. We removed all of it including the little anchor/suckers used to adhear to the siding. My advise is to find a vine that uses tendrils to wrap around a trellis. They seem less agressive/distructive and easier to control. Also see if The trellis can be mounted 5 inches or more away from siding to allow room the grow and air circulation to reduce moisture on siding.
My trumet vine gets a helping hand weaving in in and around the trellis and it is a treat for the humming birds. Trimmed it down to ground 2 years ago and looks better than ever.
rick
Hi Christen,
I would listen to your DH. I pulled (tried to pull) some off of a stucco wall at our last house and the stucco came with it, but the ivy grew right back. Another house (across from us) had it all over their roof and had to replace the entire roof..$$ ouch! Right now we live in a house with a lot of landscaping and one tree has it growing up to the top. I did not want to lose the tree, so researched how to get it down. I cut all the ivy at the base of the tree because they said it would kill it, then you could just pull it off. Did not work. Ivy lived and I almost broke my neck! So instead, I hope the tree lives (and it is pretty), but grow Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Clematis is great, too. Both are slow growing so if you buy the full size it is expensive. Certain roses grow up trellises and look very “English.” Also, you get “vermin” in ivy. We can see their little red eyes shining at night. Cape Cod Honey Suckle is beautiful, but super invasive so avoid it at all cost! Mandeville are beautiful and climb well. I am wondering.. so good luck!
Pam
I did have to chuckle as my hubby tries to rip or cut ANYTHING growing around the place. We have a massive passionfruit growing and it is taken over the side of the house.
Love the look of ivy and not sure what you could use to achieve similar. Looking forward to your solution and photos;)
Buy or find lattice, whatever shape you want. At the bottom of the lattice you join them to a bottom piece that is hinged. Then at top hook or attach to house. Guide your climber to climb on the lattice. You can unhinge to clean behind lattice and the extra air behind vine allows it to grow better. Search google, many designs for this. Hope that is helpful!
Hi Christen!
I live in South Carolina, zone 7B, and have lots of cottagey plants! I grow confederate (white jessamine) on a trellis in our yard. It is GORGEOUS and smells fantastic when it blooms. The leaves stay shiny and green all year. Very easy to grow. Also, I highly recommend creeping fig. I grow it on the brick in the front of my house and it’s SO much easier to maintain than ivy! If you’ve ever been to Charleston, SC, it grows everywhere down there! I’ll go outside in late summer when it’s taking off and pull it down where I don’t want it or prune it with hand clippers. It doesn’t need much more maintenance than that. It clings to brick but not like ivy and is really easy to prune and take down. Good luck! I’m a Master Gardener if you have any plant questions!
Very soon this web page will be famous amid all blogging and
site-building people, due to it’s fastidious articles
I’m now not certain where you’re getting your info,
however good topic. I must spend some time
studying more or understanding more. Thanks for wonderful information I used to be in
search of this information for my mission.