By Rachel Link
Maybe you have heard through the grapevine that vines are unruly or hard to manage — but, when planted and managed with the right care, they can bring another layer of beauty to your home garden without a ton of hassle.
We sat down with Andrew Bunting, Vice President of Public Gardens and Landscapes at PHS, to hear more about how vines can elevate any home garden and get a preview of what to expect in his upcoming webinar on April 21, Vines for the Home Garden.
Q: Why are vines a great addition to a garden or landscape?
Andrew Bunting (AB): Vines add another dimension of beauty to any garden, and they’re especially great if you’ve got limited square footage because they take advantage of vertical space. They’re great for shade, privacy, and some vines even bear fruit! All in all, vines add something visually special while providing a lot of practical benefits.
Q: Are there any special considerations when planning for vines?
AB: When growing vines, it’s critical to understand how they grow. Some are twining and therefore need a structure to grow on, such as a pergola or trellis. Others are self-clinging by way of rootlets and little “suction cups” that can self-attach to surfaces like walls or fences. Before planting your vines, be sure you assess any need for structure as well as whether you are okay with the rootlets remaining on this structure.
Q: Which species or cultivars do you recommend for beginners?
AB: There are so many great vines to recommend! A great annual vine with purple leaves and fruits and an abundance of pink flowers is the Lablab purpureus, hyacinth bean. A great native vine is the Gelsemium sempervirens, Southern jessamine, which blooms an abundance of yellow tubular flowers in the spring which feed the returning Ruby-throat hummingbird.
Q: What can viewers expect to learn about vines at your upcoming webinar?
AB: In the upcoming webinar, viewers will learn about a complete array of great vines for the garden. I’ll share tips and best practices to grow them, manage and prune them, and how to best incorporate them into garden design.
If you’re excited to learn more about what vines can do to elevate your garden or green space, we hope you’ll join us for the Vines for the Home Garden webinar on April 21.
