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Q : I need to employ climb vine or roses to create a “ wall , ” both on a chain - link fence and a serial publication of trellises . I ’m looking for something noninvasive that wo n’t choke out my perennial and veggies , and preferably with few or no peak , so that it ’s not so much a focal point as a fast - produce backdrop of green.—Suzanne Plunkett , Chicago , Ill.
A : Chain link can be unsightly , and cover it is often the best refuge . Your trellises , on the other paw , have a beauty of their own , so I ’d evoke plants that will complement rather than cover them . climb rose wine such as ‘ Dr. W. VanFleet ’ or ‘ Climbing American Beauty ’ ( except for the fact that you might find their flowers deflect ) are an excellent pick for the trellis . They have very mysterious tooth root systems and wo n’t interfere with nearby bloom and vegetable . Clematis also await wonderful on a trellis , and they ’re gentle to contend . Annual vines are another just choice ; I would n’t be without them in my garden . apply them to fill in along the fence or on the trellises for the first year or so , while your more permanent plants mature . Balloon vine is the plainest of them . Cup - and - dish aerial vine and moonflower both have understated bloom colors , but I ’d also suggest try out with some of the sporty exotics — central climber , Spanish flag , purple hyacinth bean , asarina , and mandevilla . If they turn out to be too colorful for your taste , you ’ll have to postulate with them only for a few months , and none pose a scourge to nearby flower or vegetable .
Now , about that fencing : beneficial honest-to-god English ivy is tough on brick and wooden bulwark — its rootlets can crack mortar and squeeze boards from mail — but for turn a chain - link fencing into a living wall of putting surface , nothing is good or quicker than Hedera spiral . It ’s extremely hardy and will flourish in shade as well as in a fair amount of sun in all but the hottest mood . Some cultivar grow quicker than others ( ask your local nursery for a passport on a good mixed bag for your area ) . You ’ll have to palaver the vines to climb by weaving the runners up the fence , but plant in 4 - inch pots , sic a foot apart , should grow enough to cover a 6 - foot fencing by the end of three farm seasons . True , Hedera helix is invasive — almost anything that ’s tight - uprise and evergreen plant will have a hefty root organization that ’s concentrated to rein in — but you could control it with root barriers and by pruning . To stave off an ivy encroachment , put in a great plastic solution barrier , making sure it ’s 1 to 2 foot abstruse ; then sum up an attractive top edging of brick or bluestone that extend 3 inches above the soil airfoil . You ’ll have to rationalize off the runners that sneak over the edging as often as you could oversee ( ideally , about once a calendar month during the growing time of year ) . But certainly do this at least once a yr , when you clean up the garden after icing . You ’ll also need to prune the foliage of the English ivy rampart about twice a year , once in early outflow and again in summer solstice . ( Before planting a wall of common ivy , or any potentially trespassing plant on the border of your property , remember to consult with your neighbors . Offer to help oneself instal a solution roadblock on their side , too , and to do the one-year pruning . )
If ivy strike you as boring or too much work , consider using wooden lattice painted a recondite forest common ( or whatever color twin your trellises ) . you could buy it quick - made ; it ’s very lightweight and easily wire to a chain - link fence . Lattice will hide the fence in a neutral fashion and provide yr - round privacy . With the wicket in place , you could experiment with any vines you fancy . It ’s an splendid support for climbing roses , clematis , one-year vines , or just about anything — but English ivy .
