melle:

This list includes some deciduous vines, which I don't think you should rule out...

d = deciduous
e/d = deciduous when really cold
otherwise evergreen

Twining Vines --

Akebia quinata FIVELEAF AKEBIA (d)
Fallopia baldschuanica SILVER LACE VINE (e/d)
Gelsemium sempervirens CAROLINA JESSAMINE
Muehlenbeckia complexa MATTRESS VINE, WIRE VINE

Tendril Vines --

Ampelopsis brevipedunculata PORCELAIN BERRY (d)
Clematis armandii AUTUMN CLEMATIS

Disk-Clinging Vines --

Parthenocissus henryana SILVERVEIN CREEPER (d)
Schizophragma hydrangeoides JAPANESE HYDRANGEA VINE (d)

Root-Clinging Vines --

Hydrangea anomala petiolaris CLIMBING HYDRANGEA (d)

Joe

I would expect Trachelasperum jasminoides "Star Jasmine" to be able to grow in your conditions. I am surprised you have summer mildew problims in your dry, low humidity climate. Al

Don't plant PORCELAIN BERRY as it is an invasive plant in the east.

I have a white potato vine in a similar setup. Mostly shade and under redwood trees where they take most of the moisture.
It blooms almost continually and I have had it pruned only a couple of time.

Penny

Joe: thanks for the list, I will investigate these vines. I prefer EG because that fence is the view out our patio door and it's really unattractive, not to mention close to the patio door. That being said, a living vine is better than dead vines :-)

Al: star jasmine is a good suggestion too, I thought it needed more sun. Re the mildew: the area just doesn't have great air circulation, maybe because it's between our house and a fence and is not very wide (it's basically one of our side yards, the patio faces the side yard rather than the main part of the yard). I do not water heavily so it surprised me, too, when the trumpet vine had powdery mildew; I should probably not have called it "BAD mildew" because I've seen bad on a crape myrtle in Southern CA...I should have written MILD mildew (don't know what I was thinking when I typed the post). The walking iris has not mildewed.

Penny: thanks for the suggestion and the warning. I like potato vines but also thought they needed more sun; will consider.

Melanie

Just to follow up, I had considered Clematis armandii but doesn't it need full sun and excellent drainage?

Mandevilla wants full sun here.

Star Jasmine would work in the spot you describe.

I have Akebia growing in a very shady location and it does great, lots of those "curious" flowers in spring. It gets absolutely no sun in winter and never gets mildew. I highly recommend it as a trouble-less, easy to grow vine.

C. armandii will grow fine in partial sun (at least 4 hrs. of good sun).

wanda

Just had another thought. Asparagus setaceous will climb a lattice and will do great in a moist shady location. If your local nursery doesn't have it, but orders from Monterey Bay Nurseries, they can be ordered for you.

wanda

Star jasmine gets woody and pretty heavy, so it may or may not work for you.

Solanum jasminoides (white flowering potato vine) does very well in partial shade. It is evergreen and vigorous, but doesn't get woody so easy to prune. There is a variegated form that is quite lovely, but it isn't as vigorous.

Wow! So many ideas... :-D Although I enjoy star jasmine, I already have some coming over (I'm training along another, sunnier section of fence) from next door...it's a welcome guest.

I am really intrigued by what I've read about Akebia quinata so if I can find one then that's what I'd like to try. Otherwise I think I'll go for potato vine, it's easy to find and I'd like to plant something soon.

I am concerned, as I mentioned before, because the drainage isn't great. Do Akebia quinata and Solanum jasminoides tolerate slowly draining soil?

Mandevilla would absolutely not endure poor drainage.

My star jasmine does equally well in shade or sun.

Don't know about drainage on star jasmine.

You could put your selection in a large pot if drainage is quite poor.

Becky

Hi Becky!

Thanks for the feedback on Mandevilla; I pretty much decided against it since the area is not very sunny. I don't know how poor the drainage is, when the rain stops the water is usually gone by the next day. The trouble is when we have days and days of rain...then the area is constantly soggy with little puddles until the rain stops.

Growing in a pot is an idea I hadn't considered because I'm not very good at remembering to water potted plants. I will keep it in mind if the next vine I plant doesn't make it.

Another vote for akebia.
Mine grows on a fence under pine trees, so more shade than sun even though the pines are limbed up 30 or so feet.
It has been slowly taking over the fence, although clematis and glory bower vines also thrive a little further down the fence line.