Just based on the flower picture, it looks like Japanese wisteria, Wisteria foribunda. These flowers open incrementally from the base to the tip. You can confirm that with the vining habit - Japanese wisteria vines counterclock-wise, Chinese and the non-invasive American species vines clock-wise. Japanese wisteria is considered invasive over a wide area of the east coast, including as far north as Maine. It spreads by root shoots, rooting stem nodes and by seed. Pruning can certainly help to contain it but will not elimintate the spread in areas where it is so inclined. Flora, not sure why it is not invasive in your area (nor in mine). Since we share a pretty long and mild growing season and given the ease with which this plant spreads, one would think it would be popping up everywhere! I am thinking it is because of our cool summers not allowing for sufficient ripening of the seeds. It certainly spreads from the roots easily enough here, but that pretty much restricts it to one's own garden.

Wow....thanks everyone! I guess DH was probably right? (Did I really just say that??) In the past I have planted a Mandevilla vine on the end of the arbor. It did look pretty, but the wait until mid-summer for flowers and for it to grow to any size was frustrating for me. But....DH likes how it looked and wants me to plant it again. This year I tried Heavenly Blue morning glories, they are blooming now, but again the long wait. I have not been really happy with the morning glories this year either. :-( Couldn't decide why. I had thought that the look I wanted was to cover the arbor with vines....but after reading your comments and looking back at pictures from other years, maybe you are right. Not a huge or heavy vine, but stay with a lighter vine? Oh, the indecision. We built the arbor ourselves, no plan, just ideas. The "windows" were something we had picked up the summer before we built the arbor, with no idea how we would use them. As we planned the arbor, DH mentioned that he thought he could incorporate them into the arbor, and so he did. They are cast iron and have love birds in the center. I do love the picture of the honeysuckle and if not on the arbor, I will find a different spot to plant one of those!

I did a search on google, and on another forum a poster reports that it wascoming up from runners all over her yard as well. Round-up, very carefully applied may help.

Hey linda, no bubble burst here--my bubble wasn't very big anyway :) Lace is way more expensive on the primary market than on the secondary. I'm also finding that there is a HUGE range based on criteria I don't really know yet. I heard back from my 'friend', really the dear person who shares her knowledge whom I really need to repay somehow someday. The lace is actually "filet guipure", or embroidery on a pre-existing net. One of the earliest forms of lace, and mine is very nice and more densely embroidered than many she's seen. I have to agree with her--it looks a lot like ones that sell for hundreds rather than tens of dollars. But hey. What do I know. Clearly nothing! Here's the low end of things I've found like it:http://www.touchofeurope.net/MK599TC/Large+1930s+filet+lace+tablecloth+handmade+Germany.html There's lots of lesser filet around--it's what I have always called 'pixel lace' LOL...mine is better :) Here is a link that might be useful: high end--I like to think it's like this one :)