You might like to try something like Morning Glory which grows fast and comes in different colors of blue, pink, purple, red, or white blooms.
Honey Suckle is another nice vine for fences.

Billy Rae

try passion flower

Will passion vine grow in zone 4a as a perennial? I know that P. incarnata is one of the hardiest, but not sure it's hardy to that zone.

If you try honeysuckle, try to get Lonicera sempervirens or a cultivar of it. They are gorgeous and attract hummingbirds, and will do fine in part shade.

Also, Sweet Autumn Clematis would do fine on a chain link, too. It flowers in late summer to early fall, with masses of tiny white blooms that are very fragrant.

Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (porcelain vine, and I think the name may have been changed by the all too underworked taxonomists), has mottled green/white foliage and produces berries that are purple, blue, white, hence the name "porcelain". It is in the grape family.

Aristolochias are vines that do well in part shade, too. They are old-fashioned vines that people used to shade their porches way back when..... A. macrophylla would be the best for you (big leaf pipevine). You may also be lucky enough to get some pipevine swallowtails to lay eggs on them. They do flower, but rather the flowers are usually hidden by the huge heart-shaped foliage. It is called pipevine because the flowers are shaped like meershaum pipes.

You could also use other clematis varieties that tolerate partial shade, but I find they do not really provide good coverage of a fence.

While your perennial vines are growing and filling in, you can plant some annuals back there, like sweet peas. Those should do well for you in your climate, and there are so many different colors available on today's market. They usually flower in spring. I don't know if you will get a sustained period of heat long enough for morning glories to bloom in your zone. Canary flower would probably do well for you as it likes cooler weather.

If I am wrong about passion flower or morning glories, please correct me.

Susan

You might be interested in the fact that the Dutchman's Pipe Vine flowers attract flies and they smell bad. However, it is truly a beautiful vine with huge leaves and it should be able to survive your cold winters and come back each year.

I've heard that, Cindra, but I love the pipevine swallowtails it attracts as well, which is why I am growing it. I have 4 different species - clematitis, serpentaria, macrophylla, fimbriata, and tomentosa. Leaves are typically much smaller on serpentaria and tomentosa. Macrophylla leaves can get to about 1' wide. Now, the flowers don't get as large as the ones on the more tropical pipevines like gigantea aka Calico Flower. I would imagine these are much more odiferous. But, I will just have to wait for the experience! LOL!

Susan

I relocated to Mt from Denver a year ago which my fenced property there was covered in Virginia Creeper. It covers densely giving lots of privacy. After moving here, the first thing I did was plant 50 new virginia creeper plants in our new 4a climate & it did wonderfully it's first year. Big dark green leaves that turn a beautiful red in autumn and product berries for the birds. After the leaves shed in the fall, the vine stays in place to rebloom every following year.
CCG (Lori)