March 11, 2004

Pergolas – Choosing Climbing Plants For Your Garden Pergola

Choosing vines and climbing plants for your pergolas and arbors can be simple once you understand the differences between all the choices of plants that are available to you. A climbing plant or a vine is a flexible plant that never stops growing in length or height. If these plants are not provided with some sort of support structure, such as pergolas, to grow up onto they will become a messy mass on the ground or purely become a sprawling land cover.

Climbing plants are much better utilized when they have a climbing structure to cling to! Pergolas and arbors provide the perfect support structure for these beautiful climbing plants! Although vines and climbing plants are traditionally thought to cling to their support structures they actually do not all "cling", they actually fall into four different general climbing types:

Twining: New growth on the plant twists or spirals as it grows. These spiraling tendrils will twist around anything that they come into contact with, which is usually other growth on the same plant! These plants require some pruning to thin them out and some training, which is best done with garden string or cord that directs the spirals in the direction that you want the plant to grow on your pergolas and arbors. Some examples of twining plants are: honeysuckle, clematis, wisteria, Herald's trumpet, bleeding heart glorybower.

Clinging: These plants have special spidery like growths or tendrils that grow out of its stems and attach themselves to flat surfaces, pergolas and arbors and they hold on. Some of these tendrils hang on by means of sort of suction cup discs, others have hook-like claws that hook into small irregularities or crevices and others stick their tendrils with a gluey type substance that is quite hard to remove from any structure! Some examples of clinging plants are: ivy, wax flower or wax plant, trumpet creeper or trumpet vine and climbing hydrangea.

Must be tied: These plants have no means of attachment and they must be tied to pergolas and arbors. These plants do require more maintenance and training. Some of them are well worth the work though, as they are very beautiful and fragrant plants; such as jasmine, bougainvillea and climbing roses.

Tendrils: These are specialized growths that grow out from the plant to reach out and grab onto whatever they can, pergolas and arbors included! These growths are straight and will start to spiral once they come into contact with an object or another stem. Some examples of climbing plants with tendrils are: yellow trumpet vine, queen's wreath or coral vine, Kangaroo treebine, clematis, blood red trumpet vine, vanilla trumpet vine, grape vines and cup and saucer vine.

Go ahead and choose your ideal vines and climbing plants from the list above. You will be amazed at the beauty they will add to pergolas and arbors. You will also be very pleased with the amazing selection of arbors, pergolas and pergola plans that is available online.

About The Author:
Nikki Jade is a successful author and the talented publisher of many websites, a1-best-garden-supplies.com included. Providing a wonderfully researched resource for your garden supplies needs, including pond supplies, arbors & trellis, bird feeders, bird houses, garden lighting, garden sheds, greenhouses, sundials, weathervanes, specialty garden items and more.

By: Nikki Jade
Website: http//www.a1-best-garden-supplies.com