Vining Plants: a How-To

When choosing a vine to plant, decide where it will grow and the support you can give it. You must also consider what type of trouble it can get into and plan accordingly! Whichever type of vine you choose, ensure that as the plant grows, it is contained within its boundaries and is not allowed to twine around tree limbs or grow onto your house.

Climbing vines can work their roots into the mortar between bricks and eventually cause significant damage. Also, please do not allow them to grow onto any structures you want to paint.

Different vining plants need different support systems. A twining vine, for example, must have sturdy poles or boards, such as a pergola, for the new growth to wrap around. Twining plants include Morning glory and honeysuckle.

Vines with tendrils, like clematis, passionflower, and grape, need slim structures such as string or wire to climb.

Chain link fences are perfect for these types, but if you want to plant them along a solid fence, they will need a little help, such as a trellis or wire. Sweet Violets make a great ground-cover.

Clinging vines such as wisteria and winter creeper grow wonderfully on solid objects or walls but will work their way into any holes or weak areas of the wall.

Vinca minor, commonly known as periwinkle and sometimes creeping Myrtle, is a

Vining ground cover spreads along the ground, usually smothering weeds, but does not climb or twine.

Vinca minor is attractive, especially when flowering, but if not carefully contained, it can be invasive to other landscaping areas and difficult to remove.

Another species worth mentioning is English Ivy. This is the charming plant you see in the photographs of old English and Irish cottages. English Ivy will climb just about any surface and grow horizontally along the ground. It is also a very invasive plant if not kept in check. It produces a berry-like fruit that attracts wildlife but is poisonous to humans and nectar that attracts insects. Wild Geranium is a stunning plant.

Whichever type of vine you choose to grow, ensure you check the USDA plant hardiness zone system to make sure your climate is suitable for your chosen plant. Also, check the amount of sun or shade needed and plant accordingly. As far as soil goes, these plants are hardy and generally do not need anything other than rich soil. If you turn a shovel full of earth over in your designated spot and see worms, you're good to go! Once the plants are established, they rarely need watering; ensure you prune them to keep them contained.

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Sweet Violet

Sweet Violet is a low-growing perennial wildflower with heart-shaped leaves and fragrant, deep purple flowers often found in woodlands and gardens. They offer numerous benefits when incorporated into landscaping projects, enhancing outdoor spaces' visual appeal, ecological diversity, and sensory experience. This perennial flowering plant contributes to various dimensions of landscape design. Sweet Violet is a long-lived perennial wildflower that some people call "wild violet." The ancient Greeks revered the flower as a symbol of fertility and used it in love potions. Perfumers prize its sweet fragrance, and confectioners use it to add color and beauty to gourmet candies. Natural Habitat Of Sweet Violet Native to Europe and naturalized in the United States, it grows naturally in open deciduous woodlands and hedgerows. It shows up along forest edges and adds bright springtime color to clearings, pastures, meadows, and swamps. The flower's blooming season typically starts in February and lasts through May. Appearance Of Sweet Violet It grows in four-inch-tall rosettes. Its delicate, aromatic flowers are typically dark purplish-blue, but lilac, lavender, pink, and white variations are also common. The small, five-petaled blossoms are about one inch across and slightly taller than they are wide. The foliage underneath the flowers consists of downy, dark green, heart-shaped leaves with toothed edges. Both the flowers and the leaves rise up from horizontal runners. Sweet Violet In the Garden Gardeners frequently plant it to add color and greenery to their landscaping. This plant adds quiet charm to cottage gardens, woodland gardens, borders, and planters. It does well in flower beds and adds color underneath shrubs and trees. The cut flowers make lovely candies and decorations for desserts. Once established, it will spread out at a moderate rate, giving this plant a good ground cover in moist, sunny areas. You can propagate the plant with seeds or by dividing the plants late in the season after they stop flowering. To encourage a bright show of blooms in spring, cut the runners and any spindly tendrils in late fall. The Ecology Of Sweet Violet Though they grow close to the ground, the plants are an important food source for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and moths. Woodland butterflies drink their nectar, and caterpillars eat their leaves. Songbirds and grazing animals, including rabbits, geese, woodchucks, and deer, enjoy eating the foliage and seeds. When you're looking to add color and subtle beauty to your garden, planting it will help you welcome the spring season year after year.

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Wild Geranium

Wild Geranium is a native perennial plant with deeply lobed, palmate leaves and delicate, pink to lavender flowers that resemble small crane's bills, often found in woodlands and meadows. It is a native perennial plant offering several positive landscaping uses. Its natural beauty, adaptability, and ecological benefits make it a valuable addition to gardens and naturalistic landscapes. Wild geranium is proof that great things can come in small packages. Its flowers may only be about an inch in size, but their delightful display always wins smiles. Interestingly, this plant offers showy leaves and blooms. What Characteristics Define the Greenery Of Wild Geranium Formally known as the geranium maculatum, these woodland perennials produce hairy, unbranched stems that can stretch up to 24 inches in height. They are generally either green or reddish. The visually compelling leaves are vibrant green, toothed, and deeply palmately lobed. Most feature five lobes, but some have seven. These leaves measure between three inches and six inches in both length and width. The leaves at the bottom are larger and have coarse hairs. Those at the top of the plant are more delicate and have finer hair. What Do the Flowers of Wild Geranium Look Like They bloom in late spring or early summer. Each upright stem will produce a cluster of two to five blooms. The saucer-shaped flowers generally measure one inch in size, but they can reach up to three inches. The flowers are composed of five petals. In addition, they have ten yellow stamens and five green sepals that encircle their pistils. What Color Blooms Does Wild Geranium Produce They are in shades of pink or lavender. However, whites, blues, reds, and burgundies are also possible. While the flowers may appear to be solid at first glance, a closer look will often reveal that darker lines run from the center of the bloom to the edge of the petal. Many popular flowers have multiple names, and these gorgeous gems are no exception. Why are they called cranesbills? The explanation may seem hard to spot, but a look at their picturesque seed pods can be revealing. After they have bloomed, they produce a charming fruit capsule. It has a long, central column, which imaginative people say resembles a crane's bill. Five basal cells with seeds form the rest of the crane's head. Colorful and full of cheer, they are fantastic additions to any garden. They work well in mass plantings and borders and attract pollinators, butterflies, and songbirds.

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