I have a Snail Vine, also know as Sweet Pea. It's curly blooms are lavendar, with a brciight spade shaped leaf. This fast growing, durable vine has no thorns, and doesn't "bush out". (Covering a 15 ft. area, 8 ft. tall, and only 8 inches deep.) The only downfall was when last years dramatic frost (it even snowed)killed the vines that had grown. However, I cut back the dead vines, and the plant came back with gusto. I only have a 12" X 12" area for the root system...so I wouldn't worry about your foundation. Another good thing about this plant is that it's hardy to insects. The color would be a nice constrast for what you have already. Good luck!

Before you go near Poison Ivy (PI), go to your drugstore and buy three products...one is a product called Ivy Guard or Ivy Shield...each brand is a cream which will shield treated exposed skin from getting a rash. Two, I recommend that you get Technu which is a waterless cleaner which can be used as soon as you know you've touched some part of Poison Ivy, it's good to use it if you suspect you didn't get all of your skin protected or if you're sweating. Reapply Ivy Shield after using Technu if you're still working and be careful to not touch anything which has touched PI like your gloves! You or someone around you will get a PI infection at some time, so while you're at the drug store, the third product you need to get is Calagel which can be used on a PI rash to quell pain and itching. Urishol is the oil in Poison Ivy which causes the irritation and it's very potent and stubborn which means it stays active even in dead parts of the plant, so don't take chances. When you're ready to take on your project to remove Poison Ivy, you will need to spread Ivy Guard or Ivy Shield cream on your hands, face, neck, wrists, arms, etc.....use it liberally. Then, put on a long sleeved shirt which has a sturdy fabric and button it to the top and button the cuffs. Put on jeans or heavy pants which can be washed in HOT water or you might consider trashing those clothes when you're finished! Wear well oiled boots which can be cleaned later, or long socks with shoes which can be washed with hot water and strong soap, or wear heavy plastic bags over your footwear. Wear a hat with a brim so vines, etc. won't drop to touch your face. Use a fresh pair of sturdy gloves which aren't likely to tear....some use two pair of cotton gloves. THEN, once you're properly creamed and covered and suited up, go out to start working on your Poison Ivy vines. Remember that EVERY PART of the plant, dead or alive, contains Urishol oil so you can get infected by a single leaf or a tiny bit of a vine or even a piece of the root...literally ANY and ALL parts of the vine can cause a rash year round, whether it's dead or alive. Once you finish working near the vine, place all parts of it in strong plastic bags and close them carefully so they won't open and infect anyone who handles the bags. Try to avoid any PI contact on the outside of the bags and do not touch the bags without wearing gloves. Do NOT stack the vines, branches, etc. unless you must, because they can fall or be blown around and some unsuspecting soul will get an infection by touching them. Also, be certain to NEVER burn the vines because the oil will activate and go airborn which means the infection will spread and it can even get into your eyes which could blind you! If you suspect that you've touched any part of your skin to any part of a PI plant, use Technu right away to clean the skin as best you can. Get to hot water and strong soap as quickly as you can and wash well and then reapply Ivy Guard if you are not finished. Until you are ready to disrobe, don't sit on a chair or car seat or anything which is absorbent or has fabric on it or you might get a secondary infection later! Yes...it's THAT bad...experience is a great teacher!! :-( Remember that if you are sweating, the cream is diluting or washing off so be careful! When you're finished working and are ready to clean up, peel your clothing off by turning it inside out as you remove it so that the infected part will be on the inside and you can safely place the items in your washer....or remember, you could throw them away! Don't put anything but your exposed clothing in the washer. Set the water temp at HOT and use a good strong detergent like Tide and wash everything really well. If your water is not hot, the soap may not be able to remove all of the oil, so hotter is better to break it down, and use a little more soap than you normally would. Your rinse cycle should remove all soap and residual oil, but you might want to run two wash cycles depending on how much contact your clothing had with the various parts of the plant. You need to shower your entire body from head to toe with very warm water and strong soap...lather and rinse several times to make certain that no oil can possibly remain and wash your hair carefully too. Once you leave the tub or shower stall, clean and rinse it carefully to be certain that no urishol oil can remain. Once you've gotten your body clean, you should use lotion or moisturizer to rehydrate your skin. IF a rash does appear, clean it well with Tecnu or warm water and soap, and apply Calagel which will remove the itch and pain from your rash. Don't scratch it or it will spread! Calagel is a relatively new product which blends the best aspects of Benedryl Gel and Calamine lotion which are two popular older remedies. It's clear and cool to the touch like Benedryl gel and soothing to the rash like Calamine lotion. Caladryl was a precurser to this newest version, but the new Calagel has an antiseptic, an antihistimine, and a skin protectant in it and so it seems to be the best product now. There are hundreds of products on the market, but I've worked around Poison Ivy for over 30 years and I'm very allergic to it, and these are the best products and methods which I know work! Good Luck!

Thanks, all of you! Kathy, unfortunately it is "her" fence. Actually, I think the house is her husband's (prior to their marriage) and quite frankly, they don't live in it, but visit it once a month to do the yard work. They really live in a small town outside of Austin and have for the last 6-7 years. Kinda' weird. Roselee, that's bad news that your coral vine didn't make it. I really like mine and wouldn't want it to die. Your idea of a partion with slates sounds good. Toward this end, I Googled the term "privacy screen" and found something like that where a section of wooden fencing was put up and the slates were painted in different colors.--Doesn't sound appealing, but the photo was cool. Sylvia, you had me giggling: "Tell her to re-fill her medication." Yes, indeed! She needs to drink a wine cooler too to calm her down. When I was younger, I would have been fuming for weeks about the way she behaved, but I've changed such that while I find she is a royal PAIN, she's not worth getting my panties in a wad over. There are more important things in life, and I doubt they will own this house much longer. Her husband isn't in good health. Thanks again! Laura

LOL DLD! I used one of those old stove without an electronic ignition at a day camp I ran once. To light the oven you had to light a newspaper roll and hold it in the back of the oven where the pilot was. I can't believe we were using that with kids around, (it was always a fun adventure using that stove). One day while making cookies with her group of campers, a counselor had all the hair burned off her arm. The newspaper roll went up in flames which she dropped on the cement floor of the camp field office and she was stamping up and down to put it out with kids jumping up and down next to her screaming. I happend to be on the phone with the camp secretary at the time and I said, "Sorry I can't hear you too well there's a fire in the field office," to which she replied, "the field office is on fire?" at which point I could hear the director in the next office yelling "WHAT!" He was down at the day camp in a New York minute and I had an electric stove the next day!!