Garden Club of Cape Coral | The living wall
By SYLVIA SWARTZ
One of my favorite things to plant is a vine! I’m trying to create a living wall of green on the fences of my rear gardens as a backdrop to the eclectic collection of plants. Growing vines can be a rewarding and beautiful way to add greenery to your space, whether in your garden, on a trellis or even indoors. Vines can be grown to give privacy or to provide food or shade. Here’s some pointers to help you get started with growing vines:
Choose the vine to suit your purpose
There are different types of vines, so choose one that not only fits our climate but also suits your purpose – do you want something that flowers – or has a scent – or is edible or do you want to have ground cover? Here are some examples of types that are suitable for our growing zone:
• Climbing vines (e.g., Clematis Polish Spirit, (Clematis viticella); Cherries Jubilee Allamanda (Allamanda cathartica). These vines are the true climbers but do need support like trellises or fences to climb.
• Ground cover vines (e.g., sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora is salt tolerant and a good nectar source for bees and butterflies.) These spread along the ground, providing good coverage of empty spaces at the front of your garden beds or preventing erosion.
• Fruiting/edible vines (e.g., grapes, kiwis). These can produce fruit, though they may need more care and space than you are prepared to give. A reliable edible vine is Malabar spinach (Basella alba) which grows well in our hot and humid summers. Another good edible is Chayote which is not only fast growing but also a great edible plant similar to zucchini or marrow. It may die back over winter but will pop up and regrow each spring. Any fruits left on the ground will also easily regrow.
• Flowering vines (e.g., the heavily scented Confederate jasmine); (Trachelospermum jasminoides) which blooms in spring; Queens Wreath (Petrea volubilis – these vines are twiners which wrap their stems around their support.
Queens Wreath in particular is a great choice because it flowers several times a year – its flowers hang down, rather like Wisteria.
Most vines prefer a sunny spot, but some can tolerate partial shade. Make sure the location you choose provides enough sunlight for your specific vine type and that it has enough room to spread its wings. Vines typically thrive in slightly acidic to neutral soil. Mulch well and space the vines according to the recommended distance (usually 12-36 inches apart) to ensure healthy growth and airflow. Vines like consistent moisture, especially when they’re young. Water regularly, ensuring the soil doesn’t dry out but also that the roots don’t sit in water.
Most important of all, support your vine! For climbing vines, you’ll need a strong support structure although some have their own inbuilt support system in the shape of tendrils. Trellises or arbors can be wooden, metal or even fences like the chain link variety. As your vine grows if it isn’t of the tendril type, you may need to help it by gently tying it to the support or guiding it in the direction you want it to go.
To keep vines healthy, remove dead or damaged growth. Pruning encourages new growth — some vines may bloom better after being pruned. Be sure to monitor growth. Some vines (like English ivy or Morning Glory) can be invasive and spread aggressively. Check the University of Florida list of invasive species before choosing and planting a vine.
And fertilize! Use a balanced fertilizer every few months. Avoid over fertilizing, as this can cause excessive leaf growth at the expense of flowers or fruit and be sure to observe our local fertilizer ban June to September.
Vines can satisfy many of a gardener’s needs – they add beauty and privacy to our garden and can also provide fruits or vegetables – cucumbers vine well as do tomatoes. There is a huge selection of flowering, fruiting and even evergreen vines from which to choose but only you know what your purpose is so choose wisely!
Sylvia Swartz is president of the Garden Club of Cape Coral.