Hi Vampygirl I agree with Michael that Rosarium Uetersen is an easy care disease resistant climber, and it does pop when in bloom, though I wish mine rebloomed better. Another orange climber that does well in many zones is Westerland, and it's pretty reliably hardy and healthy for me, though I don't know about east coast and BS. If you want a nice purple striped climber, there has been a lot of good reaction to Purple Splash, which seems to be hardy and a reliable bloomer around multiple areas of the country. Mine is just now approaching its "leap" year, so I can't say too much personally, but it is hardy for me. As for red, there are a lot of hardy healthy options, depending on how you define "red". In gardening terms, that often translates to "hot pink" or "dark crimson", not a true fire engine red, but they tend to be eye-popping and particularly hardy and healthy. Some in this color range are Quadra, Illusion, Ramblin' Red, Field of the Woods (the latter two possibly the same rose). For a redder 'red', I've had good results from Dublin Bay and The Prince's Trust, the latter of whom is the fastest growing climber of any ilk I've grown. Hope these give you some ideas! Cynthia

Thank you all for your input! Hubby and I are leaning towards the parthenocissus for the majority of the wall planted somewhere near the right (front) end. But I'm not sure which species would do well in my climate zone and in these conditions where the sun would be on that section for the entire day. Mine is fine with sun hitting it the entire day. If the leaves look scorched, water a bit more. Avoid P. quinquefolia (Viginia creeper) because it is too rampant. Named varieties of other species will be more tame. Expect a year or two to establish a good root system before the plant really takes off, but you should get some coverage the first year. Also, if those sticky suckers flake off, will the plant be at risk of falling off the wall? No. If some bit of the plant accidentally gets pulled off the wall, just cut that part off because it won't re-attach. A new bit will grow and stick on its own. Also, I'd still like to do one bougainvillea on the opposite corner. Anyone have tips for pruning to keep it the shape I want? Use a hedge trimmer and just shear it close to the wall. Bougies bloom on new growth, so new growth = flowers, so cutting back = more flowers, not less (within reason). Do not trim a baby plant too much. Let it establish. I'd like to have it climb up the wall at the corner and then most trail across the top section of the wall. In this situation where it will be attaching itself to the wall, how can I help direct its growth since there's nothing to tie pieces to as one would if growing on a trellis. Bougies won't attach themselves. You will have to install some strong wires or a trellis and use them to attach. Would also appreciate help on choosing a bougainvillea veiety suitable to this location/climate. I'm hoping "Orange Ice" will work because I really love the colors. A non-red color will be much less rampant and would be a good choice. Check on performance for that particular variety in your area--have you seen one growing in your neighborhood that looks good? Plant bougies in June or July when the soil is warm and do not disturb the rootball. Baby bougies are easily killed because the roots are so frail and brittle and need warmth. Established bougies are nearly impossible to kill. For planting slit the planting pot up, place the pot in the planting hole and gently pull out the pieces of the pot, leaving the roots as undisturbed as you can. Should I purchase online or would local nursery be better to ensure getting plants that are best for my area? If you have a good quality garden center nearby, that should be fine. Neither genus is particularly rare or hard to find.

Hi, It is probably too early for blooms in your location;mine bloom in July. Suggest you use these guidelines: "Plants like a lot of water and nutrients. While they like lots of water, they do not like wet soil. Keep soil moist, not wet. Add fertilizer when planting and every month during the season. Use a high phosphorous formula just before the first blooming period." Phosphorous is the second number in the listing:10-20-10.However,you don't really want or need the first number (nitrogen),so look for formulas like this: 0-8-4 " Prefers slightly alkaline to very acid soils. WATER: Cypress Vine does not like to dry out. Water frequently if there is not enough natural moisture. " "Liming is the usual way to correct extreme acidity, or to make the soil "sweeter." The safest material to use for this is ground-up limestone rock, called agricultural lime. However, hydrated lime can be used. On a light soil, 50 pounds of ground limestone per 1,000 square feet should raise the pH about one unit, as from 5 to 6, but 75 to 100 pounds might be needed on a heavier soil for the same effect. It is best to take a pH test in order to determine whether liming is needed or not." OR,you can just wait for the flowers to come in July ;) Good luck.

I didnt know Sweet Autumn was invasive, David, so I went looking to see what I could see, and Im wondering if maybe your "continuing problem" with the thug might be from seedlings that are continuing to come up! This Florida Site even lists it on their "Category II invasive list!" Theres more information and pictures here about Sweet Autumn which is Clematis terniflora, also known as C. maximonowicziana, ALSO known as C. paniculata! There are literally hundreds of other Clematis that wont "gobble you up," Dove! Jackmanii, as mentioned, is a very popular variety, well known for it very impressive show of purple flowers. Depending on where theyre planted, when theyre blooming they can look like a "post" or a "wall" of purple! Two of my favoritesI love BIG flowersare Candida, a/k/a lanuginosa Candida, a pure white flower thats easily 8-10" across, and Henryi, a equally large one, white with dark anthers that gives it an interesting contrast, especially when theyre grown side by side. But if you want something thats gonna "get big and cover well in a couple years," Im not sure Clematis is what youre looking for! They often take a few years to get big enough and THICK enough to cover well or put on much of a show! ANDif you want to wind up with something that doesnt look top-heavy, your best bet would be to repeatedly pinch the vines while theyre still small for the first year or two. That would make them produce a LOT of vines at the BOTTOM which you could spread out evenly over whatever youre trying to cover to make them thick all over, rather than just let the few original vines grow straight up, like most people do, and then have them sort of flop over when they "get to the top!" So, if you did it that way, theyd take even longer to fully develop, but when they did youd have an even, thick covering for your wall/fence. Once you leave the vines grow UP without pinching them, its almost impossible to get them to grow "back down" to cover the bottom since plants naturally grow "up!" If youre interested in information on other Clematis, the Clematis on the Web site is a wonderful reference! If you just want something thats gonna be "green" to cover quickly and thickly, you want Virginia Creeperbut youd be doing whoever lives there next a real "evil deed" by planting that! Its TOTALLY invasive, and once its been in for more than a few months, it well be there FOREVER! I researched vines pretty well a couple years ago when I was looking for something to plant on the lattice on my back fence to provide me with privacy, and, besides Clematis, the only thing I found that wouldnt eventually be INVASIVE was grape vines! Grapes, while they may never produce fruit if they dont have enough sun, would also cover your structures fairly quickly with "green" and wouldnt wind up taking over the whole yard. Whichever vine you finally decide upon, if you want the BOTTOM of the structure covered, be sure you spread the original vines out laterally, near the bottom, and then pinch them, and as new vines develop, gradually spread them out to fill in all the lower areas. Then "weave" them back and forth as they continue to grow up! And to keep them from getting "top heavy," when they get as high as you want them, just keep pruning them back heavilynot just all the way across the top, but cut out some of the individual vines lower down to keep them from getting "weird looking" on top. Once theyve filled in, cutting out up to even half of the vines, at varying heights, isnt going to do any damageas a matter of fact, it will continue to make them fill in more thickly where theyve been cut back! Iand others Im surecan recommend more of the invasive-type vines if youre interested in that, but you would truly be doing a disservice to both the future residents of the house AND the neighbors, and, should you for some reason wind up staying there, youd wind up hating yourself when you were spending your summers in a constant battle to contain whichever you picked! Let us know what you decide to go with on the vines, and I/we can also make recommendations for something to plant at the base! Skybird