Vines for your Rocky Mountain Garden - Part 1

The vertical patterns and the rambling growth of vines defy the rules that most other plants must abide by. Somehow the sight of lush vines covering a wall or clambering over a rustic outbuilding evoke a sense of peace and tranquility. When viewed with a burst of blossoms the scene is irresistible to even the most disciplined gardener. Many new gardeners think that vines are for tropical regions only. But the good news is, many stunning vines grow very well in the Rockies.

Consider First

Before choosing any vine it is helpful to remember three basic distinctions of vining plants. Some vines cross over from one category to another in milder climate zones. There are annual, perennial, and woody vines (woody includes deciduous and evergreen types), the latter category will be discussed in Part 2 next month.

Avoid some of the confusion by considering these basic points:

- Annual vines grown from seed that year can often grow tremendously in a season to cover massive areas and flower heavily, to succumb totally to the first serious frost of fall. - Perennial vines die back to the ground every year but shoot forth with vigor the next year. - Deciduous and evergreen vines like trees retain there woody structure year round.

Don't hesitate to try any of these categories if they are recommended for your climate zone. The following are vines that have worked well for me in my Rockies location.

Annual Vines Morning Glory love a warm sunny location and rich well watered soil. In my area they are slow to start but achieve rapid growth in mid summer. The seeds can be purchased in a variety of colors and seem best sown directly in the ground once the soil is warm. My favourite variety 'Heavenly Blue' puts on a dazzling display from late August till the frost hits in mid October. The sky blue of these trumpet like blossoms is a rarity among flowers. I have been frustrated time after time in my attempts to capture the blue on film, the perfect sky blue of the flowers showed as purple on my prints. Even seed catalogs can have this problem, displaying pictures of Heavenly Blue morning glories as purple toned, the more accurate likeness of this rare blossom color is often seen in the reproductions of painted art work.

Sweet Peas are another annual vine that can do well in the mountain valleys of the Rockies. My mother recalls beautiful displays her father had grown in the Crowsnest region of the Alberta Rockies. She remains convinced clarity of color and fragrance were better grown in this cooler region. They require a well drained sunny location and a trellis or netting to start and lots of water during dry spells.

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