In many gardens‚ no mysterious hand is more obvious than that of the climber․ It rubs the humbler dwellers in the garden dust to gold; splendid vines become living lace‚ threads of which it twines throughout the garden․ Vines are one of the most important features that gardens have because they contribute so much to the overall aesthetics․ They add depth and texture to the garden‚ and get people to wonder about the world outside of the garden․ They are sculptural‚ beautiful and often‚ as in spring or autumn‚ spectacular․ In these pages we explore these vertical climbers and find out how to make useful vertical gardens‚ how to use these plants to make a work of art and how to use them to improve our ecologies and our backyards․
Growing Vines
Vines grow upwards‚ and thus are often grown in vertical gardens․ Vertical garden structures allow a garden to occupy a single plane without taking much horizontal space․ Many varieties of vines (such as wisteria‚ clematis or morning glory) are grown on a trellis or arbor‚ or on grids or racks affixed to a wall․ These plants are often climbing or cascading‚ and can be used to create a living wall or green curtain to cool the hall in summer․ Envision extending this walkway‚ with a curtain of green vines climbing up one side of a trellis‚ enfolding a bench seat‚ and beautiful multi-colored flowers cascading down the other side․ Additionally‚ the vertical presence of such plants adds dimension to the landscape‚ and can help give the impression of a larger garden even in small spaces․
The potential for creativity with vines in the garden is endless․ For example‚ why not allow the flowers and greenery of colorful vines to create attractive structures such as arches or climb and wrap ordinary garden sculptures and structures to create visual focus points? Vines can also be strung with fairy lights‚ the twinkling bulbs lighting the area at night for parties‚ for example․ Intermingled vines such as scented honeysuckle growing close to the bright trumpet vine are ways garden designers combine the senses of sight and smell in the garden with different plants․ This art can be expanded even more through containers to the city dweller who welcomes the elements of daily life with the same abandon of the climbing plants on the balconies‚ porches‚ and patios of their homes․
Pruning Vines
Despite their desirable and helpful appearance‚ vines‚ like all other plants‚ require the same maintenance and care in order to stay healthy and continue to grow․ Pruning vines regularly helps to control the rate of growth and keep the plant from becoming too dense while improving the airflow and limiting insects and diseases․ It is also critical and essential that the vines are trained or secured․ The foliage can be extremely heavy‚ and even the sturdiest of trellises will sag or collapse with time if it is not secured properly․ It is advisable to know the light and water requirements of each of the vine species․ While it does take a little work to grow these climbing beauties‚ the delight in seeing these plants thrive is worth the effort․
Vines are also creative and beautiful elements of the landscape that help bring balance to their environment‚ as they provide habitat and sustenance to butterflies‚ birds‚ and other forms of fauna‚ in turn helping biodiversity․ They also provide food‚ cover and nests for wildlife․ The leaves of vines can help clean the air via photosynthesis by absorbing the carbon dioxide from the environment and then releasing oxygen into the air․ Thus‚ the vine's role in symbiosis with other plants shows that these plants may beautify our environments while simultaneously improving the ecosystems in which they grow․
Another asset of vines that makes them fascinating and versatile is that they are seasonal․ A vine can change quite dramatically with the seasons․ During the spring‚ many of the vines will sport new green foliage‚ as well as colorful new buds‚ marking the onset of warmer weather․ During the summer months‚ at peak growth‚ they appear green and healthy and are often covered in blooms․ In autumn leaves may turn red‚ orange‚ and gold before their growth cycle ends with the dropping of the leaf and the arrival of the autumn months․ In winter the bare and lifeless boughs can provide a certain artistic beauty to the landscape․ In winter‚ the skeletal remains of hardy vines are still attached to supports‚ and leaf out again in the spring․
The Power of Vines
So‚ how do I sum up the potential of vines? Not only do they provide us with the ability to create fabulous verticals and living art within our gardens‚ but they are also an important tool for achieving equilibrium․ This is what you can do with the power of vines․ It is possible to meet this challenge through garden design and planting․ If we want to extend hospitality to vertical plants in our gardens and admire what they offer‚ even celebrate it‚ then we also open up the other possibility of greater awareness of‚ and connection to‚ the spaces we occupy․
