By Kate Karam, Monrovia
Photographs courtesy of Monrovia
We love vines for all the garden problems they help to solve (covering things up, blocking things out, making the kinda ugly, pretty) but climbing vines–whether those that cling by aerial rootlets, or those that need the support of a trellis or other structure–are also a welcome sight for wildlife passing through.
Many vines are little food factories (pollen, nectar, fruits) while others provide cover for nesting birds (especially the space between a wall and a trellis), and resting places for pollinators. Some take space; others can be grown in containers.
With Earth Day around the corner, we put the spotlight on this group of wonderful plants that do double duty, making both you and wildlife happy!
Here are four we recommend you consider adding to your own garden sanctuary.
Striking, deep reddish pink, tulip-shaped flowers with cream and maroon stamens on dainty and abundant blooms that blanket the garden first in mid- to late summer, then return for an encore in fall. Tall climber, but a good rambling groundcover, too. Zones: 5-9
Attracts: Hoverflies, moths, butterflies, beetles and solitary bees. Provides excellent nesting cover for birds.
Drenched in fragrance and draped languorously over a fence or pergola, wisteria is a beguiling charmer with the power to hypnotize. This one's native to the U.S. and is perfect for smaller spaces. Grows at about a third the rate of Asian wisteria and blooms at an early age, with its lightly fragrant purple racemes weeping gracefully downward. Use in containers for porch or patio, train up an arbor or trellis, or as a small freestanding tree. Zones: 5-9
Attracts: Bumblebees! Butterfly larval host for Horace's Dusky Wing and Silver-spotted Skipper.
A member of the grape family, this is a self-clinging, vigorous, deciduous vine with extra large green leaves that turn rich burgundy in fall. It is a vine to use when you want a long-term solution. Zones: 4-9
This twining evergreen vine displays unusual, double, trumpet-like, vibrant pink flowers; perfect for patio gardens in humid climates. The tubular inner petals are a vibrant signal to pollinators as ample suppliers of nectar. Evergreen in frost-free regions; treat as a summer annual in cooler regions. Zones: 10-11
Attracts: Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds. And bees.
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By Delilah Onofrey, Suntory Flowers
Photographs courtesy of Suntory Flowers
Planting annual beds of flowers, especially those that are bred to take the summer heat, thereby extending their glory into fall makes a lot of sense.
Click here for an informative article that discusses an economical strategy along with design ideas that can provide color like - a living highlighter. To learn more click here.
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