Climbing plants are such a great asset to gardens. They can cover unsightly or boring walls and structures, and they can produce a living screen for privacy. And, if you’re short on space, they add a whole extra dimension to your growing area. Here are our top 5 climbing plants for gardens.
1. Trumpet Vine – This is a very vigorous plant that’s great if you have a lot of space and want it covered. Trumpet vine can grow up to 40 feet long and get awfully heavy, so don’t plant it near any delicate trellises. It also suckers and spreads easily, so you should avoid it if your yard is small and you’re worried about takeover. If you have some room to spare and you’re careful to dig up new growth when it starts, though, the payoff is awesome. You’ll have tons of bright orange blossoms that attract hummingbirds and butterflies from mid to late summer.
2. Honeysuckle – Another fast growing vine, honeysuckle rewards you with bright and fantastically sweet blossoms in early summer. It’s hardy all the way down to USDA zone 3 and can come back from extreme pruning if it starts to get a little out of hand.
3. Kiwi – More commonly known for their fruit, kiwi vines are tough, fast growing, and great for climbing cover. Some varieties grow as long as 30 feet, but more compact ones are available. They produce very fragrant white blossoms in the spring, followed by those famous fruits. The kiwis you get from your vine may be smaller than the ones you’re used to in the store, but they’re still very tasty.
4. Pole Beans – If you’re looking for vertical vegetable production, you can’t go wrong with beans. Pole beans come in all kinds of varieties and offer the whole package – long climbing vines, vivid flowers, and mounds of tasty produce. Some varieties offer especially spectacular shows too, such as Scarlet Runner, which produces bright red flowers that show up great against its green foliage.
5. Peas – Another great option for both flowers and food, peas come in a huge number of variations and take up practically no floor space in the garden. If you’re more interested in blossoms than vegetables, opt for perennial sweet peas. These will give you extremely fragrant blossoms in high summer when most other peas give up.
