Lattice as canvas

Are Morning Glories the "purples" you referred to? I used to love those. That was before I read they have hallucinogenic properties(!?), mind you.

Oh Brett, every darn flowering plant in the yard bears purple/blue. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the colors. Its just that... they are... the only colors.

As to Morning Glories, I'm open to suggestions (but not necessarily hallucinations) for planting. I guess I don't know what colors the Morning Glory spread includes. White flowers one the greenery would be really striking on the rich color of the wood...thoughts?

Somewhat on topic: isn't there a "Radar Love" Morning Glory?

My favorite morning glory is "flying saucer", which is very pale blue with a purple "star" in the center. Very, very pretty.

"Heavenly Blue" has a lovely color but tends to bloom kind of late in the season, and since morning glories are very sensitive to frost you don't get to enjoy them for very long.

Julia, I wish I'd known you wanted some. I just pulled and disposed of a bunch of the red/purple ones that were choking out my hydrangeas and climbing rose. They reseed every year.

You don't like bees, do you like Hummingbirds and Butterflies? If so, how about Scarlet Runner Beans. Beautiful flowers and food too!

http://www.cyberforest.net/flowerseeds/scarlet_runner_beans.htm

Other nice annual climbers include sweet peas and moonflowers (which look like white morning glories).

My all time favorite climing perennial is honeysuckle. There's a photo of my "Blanche Sandman" honeysuckle in my Gather image archive, it is gorgeous and blooms the entire summer. You do have to tie it to the support until it gets going.

Clematis are also very dependable here and come in a nice array of colors.

I also like trumpet vines because they come in very bright, vivid colors like orange, yellow and red. I planted mine 2 years ago and have yet to see it really bloom, though. Maybe that's because my wacko neighbor keeps cutting off the tendrils that grow between the slats of the privacy fence. The mature plants I've seen bloom like crazy and are very showy.

One note on wisteria: It's a very, very aggressive plant that will choke out anything near it, and it requires an unusually strong support (like 2 x 4s!). Read up on it on the internet before buying.

Honeysuckle smells heavenly! But here it grows wild and uncontrollable as does Wisteria!

There is a beautiful vine that has teeny roses like fragrant flowers on it, I wish I could remember the name of it, I have one in my yard that's still very small.

I clematis might be nice, and they come in many colors for you to choose from. Also, you could choose one that blooms when you would most like to see the "show". Not messy, in my opinion. I have a beautiful bluish one, but the reds are very pretty too.

I have Jacmanni and Multi-Blue Clematis... Autumn Clematis is becoming a fast favorite... they are fast growers and the flowers, (WHITE) are a welcome sight when all the rest in the garden are starting to wane...

I also have the Grandpa Ott morning glories... they are beautiful but invasive! They are trying to take over my whole yard and my daylilies... they re-seed so well that it's a chore getting them out of areas that I don't want them in...

If you're looking for edible climbers, try climbing potato or Luffa. Although, you will need to replant them each spring if you're in the wrong zone!

Late spring, I started some Luffa plants on the metal arch leading to my vegie garden... I don't know if it's the coolish weather just before we got hit by this heatwave, but, they are just now half-way up the sides of the arch... I hope I get some fruit before Fall kills them!

I also have hops climbing an arbor... there aren't any flowers worth mentioning but the pods intrigue everybody, specially the beer-lovers :-)

Moggy, the honeysuckle we grow up north is different than the fragranced variety you have. It has no fragrance and is not at all invasive. That's one of the reasons I chose it.

You're in Hawaii, eh?

Methinks Julia & I would have a bit of a challenge growing anything you have there. We reside in tropical Minnesota!

Red clematis and yellow trumpet vine would make pretty additions. If you want something really cool, make an arbor out of lattice and grow grapes. I know - purple again! But deep, dark, almost-black purple and lots of green!

[Giggle] Kari, it sounds like you haven't spent much time in the upper midwest! The only fruit trees that grow in MN are apple trees (Haralson apples - mmmmm). Now,I don't think you'd get them to climb, but it'd be interesting to try.

BTW, have you ever had walleye?

The tree training scheme is called "espalier" if it is done flat against a wall or fence, and "topiary" if you prune your tree into a 3-D shape.

Hardy kiwis might be a nice alternative for a grape trellis. Arctic Beauty, a named male variety of the sub-zero species, has variegated leaves that are green, white, and pink. The female plants (fruit bearing) don't have variegated leaves, but are ornamental in their own way.

Oh, my. This is a landscaper's dream list!

I'm not sold on the Morning Glories yet, auntie, but I appreciate that you would have given me some to replant! Will have to check out the honeysuckle image, and will def. consider trumpet vines because you gotta love the orange.

Thanks for the runner bean tip, Moggy. What a pretty, pretty heirloom plant. Are the beans good eating?

Carol, Pearl, juni, Diana, auntie! Thank you for thinking of Clematis! That lattice in the pic is actually part of the pergola, and we're going to put grapes there. Yes. Grapes! (Diana hit it for the pergola... lemme see if I have a picture handy. I seem to have lost some in the multiple computer scenario) There's no dissuading on the grapes for the arbor. However, plans are to basically build another section of lattice and use it to add color. I have the perfect, perfect spot for some gorgeous Clematis...how late can I plant it? I'm not planning on building the next sets of lattice until it is a bit cooler. Being covered in sweat is one thing, being covered in sawdust another, being covered in both in the heat of summer is not on the to-do list.

Pearl, do your Hops plants ... smell? Someone told me they have an unpleasant smell. Will look up this climbing potato per your recommendation and out of sheer curiosity...

Kari K. & Peter B. have me looking into this espalier business, but I must admit it sounds like work. *grin*

Is the fruit of the Hardy Kiwi tasty?


p.s. Busted out laughing at "tropical Minnesota"

SD isn't nearly so tropical as MN
:-p

Well, I stand corrected about the apple trees. I don't think of them as vines, but I have seen photos of espaliers. Never seen one in person, though. It looks like it would be challenging to try to train them.

Because you would be training a tree to grow in an unnatural shape, espalier is as much work and as rewarding as bonsai. Because of the intense pruning and training, espaliered fruit trees are capable of producing more fruit than one allowed to grow naturally.

Hardy kiwis have the same taste as the fuzzy ones you buy in the store, but they are smaller in size and smooth skinned.

Kari it is cool to meet you here, you Hawaiian Spearfisher you!

Regarding the apple trees, auntie said, "It looks like it would be challenging to try to train them." and Peter confirms this. I am no garden dominatrix, and to be honest I barely avoid inadvertent killing of my plants. The thought of training something sends me shrieking to my garage, where cement and steel - simple, comparatively uncomplicated things - reign.

Still, the thought of a wall of apple blossoms and then their fruit gives me shivers. How wonderful that would be!

Pic of the pergola

Grapes would work, but it would probably take 3 years or so to train a main stem to get to the top of the pergola. You can't really havest any grapes when removing branches to do this. Do you have the patiences for this or do you want something no nonsence?

I am partial to the grape kiwi vine(which is a cold hardy kiwi, not grape). You may not get fruit in this zone but the leaves are dark green, stems red and they don't seem to have any pests. Some of the male varieties have purple leaves. Mine have already grown from nothing to the top of a 10 foot pole this season, where I cut them back a few weeks ago. You could easily cover that pergola in one season, and no blossoms means no bees.