Spirited Lady Gardening

Blue Chinese Wisteria, Wisteria sinensis, is a twining, woody vine valued for its pendulous clusters of extremely fragrant violet-blue flowers. Chinese Wisteria is a shade tolerant vine, but it only blooms when grown in partial to full sun. It is perfect for covering patios, arbors or fences. This plant is often grown with multiple trunks but it can be trained to a single trunk as a small tree. Chinese Wisterias are deciduous. It is a fast grower with stems to 25 feet or longer. The vine often climbs trees, and is most striking when seen in full bloom draped from the limbs of a high pine. Leaves consist of 7 to 13 leaflets of large size; after flowering, very attractive, velvety pods are produced, containing seed. It is probably best used for training to grow onto an arbor where flowers can droop and form a fragrant ceiling of color.

The Honeysuckle 'Gold Net', 'Lonicera japonica 'Aureo-Reticulata', is unlike most Honeysuckle grown today. It is noted for its highly unusual oakleaf-shaped, lime-green and gold veined variegated foliage. The small scented yellow flowers will appear in the spring but they are inconspicuous. This Honeysuckle is quite versatile as it can twine up a wall, fence, or trellis, or mound or sprawl as shrubs and ground cover. In the south, it can be known to be rampant and may be evergreen or semi-evergreen. In the Pacific Northwest, it will be more restrained and can climb more than twelve feet, unlike many other species. It is usually grown as a climbing vine, but it can also be grown as a groundcover creeper, or it can be hung from baskets & containers, or over garden walls.

The Wisteria 'Aunt Dee', 'Wisteria macrostachya 'Aunt Dee', produces showy clusters of light purple flowers in the spring. This deciduous, twining, woody vine is noted for long life and exceptional beauty. Aunt Dee needs support, such as a trellis, arbor or fence to grow and climb on. Aunt Dee blooms when very young. It prefer deep, moist, well drained soil in full sun. Prune after flowering. Heads will turn when this plant is in full bloom. All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested.

The Honeysuckle 'Mandarian', 'Lonicera x 'Mandarin' PP#11083, also known as Mandarin Honeysuckle, produces lovely, fragrant, orange flowers beginning in early summer and blooming all the way through late fall. The Mandarin attracts the attention of hummingbirds and butterflies. New foliage has a copper color that matures to a dark, glossy green. Be sure to provide it a support to climb on right away or soon after it's planted. This Honeysuckle is an excellent choice for new landscapes, patio containers, or bare patches by walls for some vertical coverage. Also excellent as a hardy flowering vine on a trellis, fence, pergola, arbor or up trees or over large shrubs.

The Honeysuckle 'John Clayton', 'Lonicera sempervirens 'John Clayton', also known as the John Clayton Honeysuckle vine, produces lovely, fragrant, yellow flowers beginning in early summer and blooming all the way through late fall. The John Clayton attracts the attention of hummingbirds and butterflies. Bright orange to red fruits are produced in late summer and fall, that birds will savor.. Be sure to provide it a support to climb on right away or soon after it's planted. The John Clayton needs at least a 1/2 day of sun to produce flowers. This Honeysuckle is an excellent choice for new landscapes, patio containers, or bare patches by walls for some vertical coverage

Boston Ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata, is also known as Cottage Ivy and Japanese Ivy. This deciduous vine has tendrils which have 5 to 8 branches, each ending in adhesive-like tips; it has the ability to literally cement itself to the wall and therefore needs no support; good on trees, will also crawl along the ground; secretes calcium carbonate which serves as adhesive. This vine can reach a height or spread exceeding 30 feet. The plant tolerates dry soil .The glossy, dark green, three-lobed leaves turn bright red in the fall. The showy leaves are held late into fall or early winter. The plant produces bluish fruits that are not highly ornamental. The blooms of the Boston Ivy are fairly inconspicuous but they attract multitudes of bees. Use in full sun to full shade, salt tolerant, handles most all conditions.

The Trumpet Creeper 'Madame Galen', 'Campsis x tagliabuana 'Madame Galen', produces showy racemes of salmon-red colored tubular flowers that will impress all summer long. Madem Galen is a vigorous grower, it can grow up to 40 feet! Bloom time is late summer to early fall. This deciduous vine fhas an extra long bloom season. It is excellent for covering fences or arbors.This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.

The Wild Fox Grape, Vitis labrusca, is a woody vine which can climb over thirty feet tall. It is also called skunk grape. They have large, three-lobed leaves with teeth on the edges. Wild Grape can be found on streambanks, pond edges, roadsides, and in open woods. Wild Fox Grapes bear purplish-black berries and are the source of many cultivated grape varieties. These fruits develop considerable sweetness after the first frost. The fruit is extremely important to wildlife as well as being a most important grape in the development of North American viticulture. Wild Fox Grapes can be used to make juice, jellies, jams, conserves, and preserves. They can be used in pies and pastries too.

The Trumpet Creeper, Campsis radicans, is a rapid growing, clinging vine that produces orange trumpet shaped flowers in the summer months that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It is also known as the Trumpet Vine and is a tough vine for hot and dry sites. The invasive nature of this plant makes it hard to get rid of but also very hardy. The abundant sprays of trumpet-shaped orange flowers cover this deciduous vine for an extra long bloom season. Trumpet Creepers are often grown with multiple trunks. This plant flowers best in a full sun location. The rapid growth makes it an excellent plant for covering fences or arbors.

The Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, is a fast-growing, high-climbing vine that attaches itself with tendrils which expand, disk-like, on their tips. The deciduous leaves that radiate outward from a leaf stem, like spokes on a wheel. Each

Japanese Honeysuckle 'Halliana', Lonicera japonica 'Halliana', is the most commonly seen Honeysuckle and is also known as Hall's Honeysuckle. It has whitish-yellow flowers with a delightful fragrance. Hall's Honeysuckles are a very fast growing plant t

Purple Wintercreeper Euonymus, Euonymus fortunei 'Coloratus', also known as Wintercreeper and Wintercreeper Eunonymus, is a dense, woody-stemmed, broadleaf evergreen plant which comes in a variety of forms. Euonymus fortunei 'Coloratus' (commonly calle