Gardening with Galligan: The last word on vines

It’s not possible to finish up with clematis without mentioning the one variety yet to bloom — and it blooms prolifically towards the end of summer. That’s clematis paniculata, the one covered with those tiny white flowers. This one is famous for clambering over anything in sight. A good example will be coming to us very soon; there is a lovely one, spread over a number of bushes that don’t seem to mind a bit, on Smith Street, right after the turn to the west from Baldwin Road.

Another vine well worth having is lathyrus odoratus, the fragrant wild sweet pea vine. Lathyrus is a member of the legume family and contains 160 species, 30 of which can be found in North America. There are both annual and perennial varieties. The flowers vary in shades of pink and rose. They can also be found in white, yellow, purple and some bicolors; like many other flowers, they change color with age.

Some species are grown for food; the tuberous pea is grown as a root vegetable — its edible tuber filled with starch. Many of the species attract butterflies. This vine is easy to grow, with very few drawbacks; the only one that comes to mind is its susceptibility to fungal infections, including both downy and powdery mildew.

In one of my former gardens, I had lathyrus tumbling down a slope, which it was very happy to do. And you can see it, sprawling about with orange daylilies, on your right as you go down the hill onto Bridge Street in Mrs. Piccozzi’s border.

Another nice selection is trumpet vine, with its bright orange flowers, blooming all this month. Its proper name is campsis, and it’s a deciduous, vigorous perennial climber that clings by aerial roots. Like the others, it’s easy to grow, quite hardy, but does need full sun and some protection from the wind. The species most usually available in nurseries is named Madame Galen, a hybrid whose parents are campsis grandiflora, better known as Chinese trumpet vine, and campsis radicans, the American cousin. I have tried every site I know and am sorry to report that I am unable to tell you who the real Madame Galen actually was.

Campsis is a favorite with hummingbirds and if you grow it, they will come. The vine blooms from mid-summer through fall, and the deep orange, sometimes salmon-colored flowers are born in large clusters. The vine grows exceptionally fast, easily covering 25 feet in a single season. So if you’re going to grow it, make sure you have room for it or that you are prepared to cut it back.

Campsis is not fussy about soil, is tolerant of various types, but does care about drainage, so be certain the site you choose for it is appropriate. The vine will tolerate some shade, especially if it’s early morning shade or late afternoon, but will flower best in full sun.

We could, of course, go on for some time about vines; there are certainly plenty of books about them. If you would like to try them, it’s best to go that route and familiarize yourself to a greater degree than I can manage here. But do consider them — along with shrubs, they give you a lot of bang for the buck.