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CONSIDER ORNAMENTAL ANNUAL VINES FOR YOUR GARDEN THIS SUMMER
Each year, Master Gardeners from around Minnesota plant and evaluate vegetables, herbs and other plants, and then report their observations to the Minnesota Extension Service.
The results are summarized each February by Jackie Smith, veteran Carver/Scott County Master Gardener. These findings, from her summary, might help you select just the right vine for your fence, trellis or arbor.
Vine seeds were planted indoors March 31 and transplanted to gardens May 26. The cloudy weather was unusually hard on plants, with none living up to its performance in sunnier years. Vines are listed in order of their overall ranking, first to last.
Malabar Spinach (Bassella alba) germinated and grew vigorously, but was the last to begin vining at 30 days after transplanting. This plant, which climbs by twining stems, was attractive for over three months. The small, pinkish blooms were insignificant, but the maroon stems and succulent, glossy, heart-shaped leaves were well liked.
Malabar spinach was rated tops for color, and several growers commented on its usefulness in flower arranging. Several also spoke favorably of its culinary uses. It is edible raw in salads, steamed or stir-fried.
Balloon Vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum) has tiny, white blooms that appeared fairly early. Combined with the lacy, delicate leaves, they made a lovely show by the first of July.
The puffy green seedpods were the main attraction, but when they faded gradually to tan the effect was no longer pleasing. The total display lasted an average of 98 days, with the vine vigor receiving a second-place rating.
Seeds needed to be nicked before sowing, making balloon vine a bit more difficult to get started. This vine uses bloom pedicels to wrap around wire or string, so it was rather late to start climbing, at about 20 days from transplanting.
Cup-And-Saucer Vine (Cobaea scandens) caused germination problems for many growers, and the bloom was delayed until late in the season. No doubt the cloudy weather adversely affected this vine, which generally performs much better. The attractive, medium-green, oval-shaped leaves have climbing tendrils on their tips. Testers rated this vine second for leaf attractiveness and third for vine vigor. Many growers never saw the royal purple flowers.
Canary Creeper (Tropaeolum pereginum) was the quickest to start climbing at almost three days before the plants were set outside. This vine climbs by leaf petioles wrapping around twine or wire. The dainty, deeply lobed leaves were attractive early, but faded by mid-August. It was also the quickest to produce its yellow flowers at an average of 44 days from transplanting. However, the color was not popular, and one grower commented that the blooms looked like yellowed flowers.
The growers also evaluated Cinnamon Vine (Dioscorea batatas), a perennial, so it did not bloom the first year from seed. The twining stems started climbing while still indoors and then took a long time to regain vigor after transplanting. The leathery, elongated, heart-shaped leaves ranked first for their early attractiveness, with the plants maintaining a desirable appearance for an average of 122 days. According to Jackie Smith, this vine blooms prolifically in its second year and can perfume an entire yard!
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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