The lack of space in which to plant any new flowers to add to my existing backyard habitat also presented me with a bit of a dilemma. My flowerbeds are already planted to the brim with perennials, and I really don't want to remove or replace any of those. What's a gardener to do when nearly every bit of the dirt in his or her flowerbeds is already occupied by other colorful tenants?
Then it dawned on me -- I can plant vertically! There is nothing to stop me from doing that, and besides, it will add a whole new dimension to my backyard! I have always dreamed of having a beautiful arbor with lush green vines and bright, beautiful flowers cascading down the sides and across the top. And -- arbors do add a wonderful touch of romance to a garden. This spring I'm going to see that dream come true -- I finally get to "plant" a beautiful flowering arbor. As you can see in the photo, my new arbor doesn't look very lush and lovely at the moment. However, with any luck and a bit of TLC, it will be sporting lush green vines with nectar-rich bright flowers by early summer. Better yet, no thirsty hummingbirds seeking their favorite food source will want to miss a lunch or dinner stop at my flowering arbor!
My next task will be to decide on which variety of flowering vines I wish to plant in the two planter boxes flanking each side of my arbor. In doing a bit of research, I've come up with several flowering vines that are of interest to both me and the hummingbirds. The one I favor most at the moment is called a Purple Bell Vine (Rhodochiton atrosanguineum). I can easily picture this outstanding vine planted on either side of my arbor. Its maroon-purple blossoms with their dark purple corollas would surely appeal to the most discriminating hummingbirds! And what could be more romantic than "heart-shaped" green leaves, their edges outlined in burgundy to match those stunning blossoms? Even though this gorgeous vine is a perennial in warmer climates, I would be happily willing to replant it every year.
Another favorite flowering vine that hummers love -- and that would thrive in my planters for a season -- is the Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea x multifida). Cardinal Climbers are an excellent climbing vine to plant for attracting hummingbirds. Their 1-inch blossoms of crimson would definitely catch they eye of any hummingbird passing through, and they are also tubular-shaped -- exactly what hummers love to accommodate their long beaks. I am really intrigued with the beautiful foliage of this vine as well, and can readily picture Cardinal Climbers making their way up both sides and around the top of my arbor. With a growth habit of 15 to 20 feet in one season, this vine would easily cover my arbor by mid-summer. This would be my second choice of vines for this summer's planting.
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