A great way to decorate your garden is the use of vines. They
are very low maintenance and look good on almost anything. If
you’ve got a fence or separator that really stands out in the
field of green that is your garden, then growing a vine over it
can be a quick and aesthetically pleasing solution. However,
there are many types of vines for different situations, whether
you are trying to grow it up the side of a house, along the
ground, or up a tree.
Many different ground vines are available. These types grow fast
and strong, and just inch their ways along the ground. They are
very easy to direct, so they can make a border around your
garden, or just weave in and out of the plants. I suggest using
these as a hardy ground cover if you just want some green on
your dirt or mulch. Usually you can find a variety that is
resistant to being stepped on. It’s like a leafy, nice
alternative to grass. Even if you have kids and a dog, it should
have no problems staying alive.
Another type of vine that is available is a “twining” vine. This
refers to their method of climbing. Twining vines require a
lattice or equally porous surface to climb up, since they are
not sticky at all. They just climb by sending out small tendrils
to loop around whatever is nearby. I suggest using this type of
vine for climbing up trees, or any type of mesh. Usually you
have to guide them a lot more during their early stages, and
after that they will go wherever you want them to.
Vines not only look good on the ground or on lattices, you can
blend them in to the very architecture of your house. This is
usually achieved through the use of vines with small tendrils
that have adhesive tips. They extend from the vine and attach
themselves to almost any surface. If your garden is adjacent to
your house and you want something to camouflage the big
unsightly wall, it’s a great idea to start out a few vines near
the base. If you have a vine like the Virginia Creeper growing,
then your entire wall will be covered in a matter of months.
However I have seen situations where the vine got out of
control. After that, you have no choice but to watch the vine
take over your entire house.
One of the vines that you would probably recognize is Ivy. You
see it around a lot, generally because it is so adaptable. Out
of the types I mentioned above (ground, twining, and sticky
pads), Ivy can fill in for pretty much anything. It makes a
great ground cover, and will grow up about any surface you put
it on. Although it grows quick and strong, I wouldn’t suggest
growing it up your house. This is because recently, buildings
which have had ivy for many years have found that it has been
deteriorating the building.
So no matter what you want to do with a vine, you should have no
problem getting it to grow. You should always do your research
beforehand and find out about any negative qualities the vine
has (such as its ability to destroy buildings, in Ivy’s case.)
