Over the past three years I ’ve been growing various one-year vines in container , taste about 6 - 8 different assortment of the most commonly find out annual vines , each twelvemonth . As you may have happen upon yourself , annual vines like morning resplendency while beautiful and easy to germinate , can , and do , produce too quickly and with such zip that they can , and will , get out - of - hand often before they blossom . Yet other one-year vine are more tidy and manageable . I wanted to see what vine were the most manageable , and which ones were the most beautiful as a container plant , and which ones are best left to the treillage or telephone pole .
I remember read in an one-time gardening al-Qur’an once that one should always approach vine with precaution . They are biologically dupe to be opportunistic , but that makes mother wit once you observe vines growing . They are just designed to rush up object quickly to extend to the canopy so that they can get sunlight and appeal pollinator . I was cue of this while botanize in westerly China in 2018 when I see clematis develop on a hillside in the Himalaya , often nearly completely covering the horizontal limbs of evergreen – looking more like a blizzard had dusted each fir tree with a covering of snow . Clearly , clematis are designed to ramble through shrubs and trees more than they are design to mount lamp post .
I rise all of my annual vines in 14″ deep 12″ diameter Lucius Clay Mary Jane ( from a discount store at $ 9.99 each ) . These were perfect as I could set in 8 or so 3/8″ bamboo stakes that were 5′ long along the diam ( starting by spacing them like the hours on a clock , 3:00 , 6:00 , 9:00 . etc , or like cutting a pizza pie in to 8 pieces ) . I then would splice them at the top with twine to make a thin , teepee - type social organisation .
All of my vine trials were conducted in the same containers, 12″ deep long-tom clay pots. Dee enough to hold the 5′ bamboo canes (tied into a teepee) and heavy enough to keep the mature plants from tipping over in strong summer storms.
Knowing how your vine ‘ climbs ’ is helpful , as sometimes you may take to add bird netting or chicken telegram – even twine the entire tipi with counterpart if the vine climb by using tendril ( like grape or sweet peas ) , while other vines naturally wind around the support , such as with morning glorification . Then , there are vine with do neither , like genus Nasturtium – especially the yellow - flowers canary vine , which sometimes use their leaf - stems to roll ( the petioles ) or they favor to just catch on and creep over branches in the wild . These will expect more help such as hand tieing new outgrowth with soft thread or garden twine to get thing going .
I attempt to concentrate on the most common one-year vines that any of us can retrieve on a seed rack or in a cum catalog , but I also try a few more focussed trial – particularly with sweet peas , and other yearly lathyrus , just to see what they would look like if grown in gage . Out coarse cut bloom sweet-smelling pea – Lathyrus odoratus , the Spencer varieties and the honest-to-goodness fashioned cut flower angelic peas , which not ideal for spring up in pots , did do well if the gage was great than the 12″ potty I first tried for the more uncommon , or unusual species . I will say that the species surprised me with how modest many of them were once fledged , and how unique the leaf and even the seed pods were – often even more interesting than their bloom were . The only downside was that they blossom early , and only for a hebdomad or two , then set source and fail . Not a long - live potted plant .
The cut bloom type of sweet peas fared better in some 24″ the Great Compromiser pots and in particular the ones that I grew in an old 1940 ’s metallic element tank ( with holes drill in it ) . These grew taller , on an 8 human foot marvellous love apple cage , and did so well , that I may always grow some dulcet peas this mode .
All of my vine trials were conducted in the same containers, 12″ deep long-tom clay pots. Dee enough to hold the 5′ bamboo canes (tied into a teepee) and heavy enough to keep the mature plants from tipping over in strong summer storms.
An excellent choice for 12″ pots would be any of the Black Eyed Susan Vines , particularly the New survival ( like those found with registered , licensed public figure from brands like Proven Winners ) . All are fine , even the variety you’re able to start from seed indoors , under lights , but the better coloration do seem to come from the Modern selections . These not only grow quickly , but so aggressively that you will only want one per 12 - 14″ potentiometer . One plant will commit out dozens of shoots and quick cover a 5 - 6 human foot tall teepee . These tend to always look neat , though once they get in touch with the top , you will necessitate to retrain them down or lop them often . They can apace take over any nearby teepees or shrubs if they disturb them .
Morning glories , and their congeneric may seem like a natural first pick , but proceed with caution as most will out grow a pot before mid summertime , especially the species . I will say that the Nipponese diversity ( call Asagao in Japan ) do make excellent potted plant ( you know , the striped ones , and even many dwarf and sport available on eBay ) . There is an entire culture around growing these in Japan , where , like bonsai , they are grown in small pots and snip heavy , often keeping teepee to only 14″ improbable . I ’ve grown many dawn glories this way , and while the method even play with Heavenly Blue and other common varieties , it ’s labor intensive as you know how fast morning aura can grow . It ’s best done with the motley - leaf Nipponese varieties , however , but that merit another post .
There are some metal money of Morning glory however , which I did test . This class , I develop the wild coinage Ipomoea hederifolia var . lutea , a metal money that was all Modern to me which was incredible , blooming all summer long , delight the hummingbirds and forming a cloud of tiny , tubelike yellow blooms that were about 1″ in diameter . The only problem was that the vine cursorily outgrew my 14″ bass clay mountain by mid - June , so I had to plant it out . slither the intact root ball and bamboo caned , which by July 4th were already altogether covered with foliage and twining stem into my bush border where it completely covered a Black Prince , finally pour down it by smothering it , but totally covering it with a cloud of yellow blooms that made the effect something that I want to repeat every yr . There is a red species now that I need to render next class , which seems like , I. coccinea .
These Asarina seedlings looked weak and unpromising until I transplanted them into the larger pots. They quickly grew into a fine looking specimen plant, never really outgrowing the 5 foot tall tower, and bloomed well past frost hit in October. Asarina comes in purple, pink, white and magenta depending on the species and selection. All are fine, delicate and perfect for pot culture.
The Spanish sword lily vine , has always been a dearie of mine . I intend , cmon , ombre ! It almost does n’t seem real , but it ’s a just prospect for pot as long as you eff that it wo n’t bloom until late summertime , and it too can get a bit out of hand , though not as aggressive as let ’s say a regular dispirited morning glory might be , even though it ’s related to . Once systematist listed it as Mina order Lobata , but it sits firmly in Convolvulaceae , the Morning glory family , and is properly known as Ipomoea lobata .
Some of my favorite annual vine remain the most common . Sky grim morning nimbus , like ‘ Heavenly Blue ’ is pure nostalgia for me , as it prompt me of my dearest aunt ( Aunt Ann ) who live in New Jersey , and grew it on her chainlink fence behind her household . It was a flyspeck , farsighted garden in Trenton , but full of plants . , such as was my granddaddy ’s garden was nearby also in Trenton . That was where I first saw a passionflower vine growing , behind my grandpa chicken cage . He was closely 100 days old in the early 1980 ’s , and did n’t speak much English , but he wanted to show me the Passiflora when they were in blooming . I should observe that they too are honest for declamatory containers , but I did n’t include them here as they are n’t truthful annuals ( even though we grow them that means up north ) .
I have to take on that the finest display arrive from the Purple Bell Vine , Rhodochiton atrosanguineus . IT used to be hard to find oneself , but I find seedlings occasionally at some local Boston area nurseries . Like most vine , it ’s not going to be in heyday when you find it usable as a seedling , and untried flora can await rather unaccented and unpromising . All I can say it get it , if you regain it , for few plants put on such a show . My towers were so attractive this retiring yr that I set them around the garden as object , even loaning a few to a clients garden photoshoot for a floor in Architectural Digest . They are that attractive . you could uprise them from cum , but it takes some patience .
These annual peas – Lathers species, related to sweet peas, needed additional support to have been able to climb the bamboo canes. I should have added bird netting or chicken wire wrapped around the towers so that tendrils could grab and grow tall. Other lathyrus species need twiggy branches to grow through, e specially if they are a species that doesn’t from tendrils.
Sow seed in February , under lights and keep them warm . Transplant carefully into large pots in leaping , and finally set the new flora into a big hatful such as my 12 to 14″ prospicient toms with 5′ bamboo canes . It ’s a twiner , which helps , but every bit of this plant looks lovely , from the burgundy back foliage to the awesome flowers that almost defy verbal description . It start out flower when young , so it just about always depend good . near to start with new plants every yr , though , as it is hard to winter over successfully in the north .
The Love in a Puff Vine ( Cardiospermum halicacabum ) is a true one-time forge , if not heirloom plant that is fun to develop for its bouffant , inflated seed pods that each contain a few of their typical seeds – each with a tiny beige pump them , hence , where it get its name . grant , it ’s not a vine for everyone , as it can look underweight or too casual for many . I love it , as I ’ve date it farm to great consequence in urns set into the center of an herb garden at an the three estates in the Hudson Valley , and on a treillage in a friends garden . You just have to be prepare for rampant growth , which is elegant , and fuck that one does n’t grow this plant for it ’s invisible tiny white blooms , but for the ejaculate capsules , and the overall effect – a maze of stems and foliage , which can look attractive in the ripe sort of background .
Side by side , pots of vines display in a row can also be attractive . Each year I line a few walks and course around the garden , or leading to the greenhouse with potted vines being trained onto bamboo tipi . I allows me to grow a number of vine in a modest infinite , and I know that I can cut back any that get too indocile . In pots , the blooms are brought to eye floor , but I have to say that more and more , I am attracted to the leaf than I am to the efflorescence .
Cut flower sweet peas may not be ideal if grown on a pointed trellis, as they grow much taller than one may expect, and the don’t bloom until they reach the top. These were hand tied at first, to get them going, and then pinched to form more branches, which do tend to bloom lower on the plant. This container is much larger than my 12″ pots, it’s a whiskey barrel, with more space for their deep roots.
Nasturtiums are naturally vines in the wilds of South America , but most have been bred to be brusk plants , yet a few stay – true heirloom and deserving playing with , to tot something dissimilar to the garden . You may already know that I hoard many of the tuberous tropaeolums from the Andes , and grow them as wintertime - bloom vine in my glasshouse , but there are some very easy annual tropaeolums , from the veining nasturtiums ( like the one consider every spring at Boston ’s Isabella Stewart Gardner museum ) or the overlooked Canary Vine , which you may still find in safe seed catalog .
Easy to grow , the Canary Vine ( also sold as Canary Creeper , or the Canary Bird Vine ) has large seeds like the nasturtiums you already love , but it is an aggressive agriculturist , and belike not my best selection for a container unless you have a full-grown one – countenance ’s say 24 -30″ wide . It dislikes dry out in summer , which can toss off a vine in just a sidereal day ( believe me , I have intercourse ) and the foliation can yellow practically overnight if you allow it dry out . The vine can be very effectual if grown in a large pot as long as you have something for it to climb on . I ’d say that it ’s better if planted into the ground , though . It ’s not a twiner , no tendrils either , so it ’s best climbing through twigs or over a shrub . I once planted a fully grown parrot cage that we had left out on the deck ( when our Parrot Kojo fly away ) . WE hoped her would return , but a canary vine remove off in a turgid potful , so I set it inside the parrot cage ( seemed dry at the time ) . It totally covered the cage which was about 4′ x 6′ on rollers , and became quite the spectacle .
Another morning gloriole relative which is slightly well behaved , is the Cypress vine , or Cardinal Vine . Closely ordinate with Ipomoea x multifida , and related to the red flowers I. coccinea , this annual vine will quickly cover a tug in a few months from a sowing in recent May . I sow all of my Ipomoea species and selections near the end of May , as they are speedy growers , and really do n’t need a fountainhead start . Do know that in the south , and in warmer zones many of these morning aura relative can be considered to be invasive , as they self - seed and can propagate , so check your local restrictions before planting .
Black Eyed Susan Vines – Thunbergera sp – make excellent potted specimens. They can still grow out of hand over time, but they start blooming when young, and generally look tidy only requiring some training and pruning once they reach the top of the canes. Young plants will need their runners tied up, at first, to get them twining, but after that, stand back. Just trim off shoots that get out of hand.
Vines in pots will be like trying to kindle three teenage brothers . They will fight with each other , and endeavor to overshadow each other constantly getting into trouble . Try your best to raise them severally but severely , training them almost every day ( as they ’ll forget ) and then revel the results of your labor once they reach maturity and heyday . It ’s may seem like all is lost , but be firm , and do n’t be afraid to curb them a bit .
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The Blue Sweet Pea, Lathyrus sativus (azureus, sometimes), is truly that special morning glory sky blue. But I must tell you that it is rather a disappointment – short lived, blooming for just a couple of weeks, plan on enjoying it for a brief moment. It’s probably best grown as a container plant though, as it has short vines. I’ve seen it grown as a cut flower, but blooms will only last a day, so plan it’s use accordingly.
The rare, yellow morning glory, Ipomoea hederifolia var. lutea was a new discovery for me this year. It’s flowers are indeed yellow and tubular, which I loved, but it outgrew its container so quickly that I had to plant it out into the garden.
The Spanish Flag or Firecracker vine is a showstopper when it is in bloom. Easy to grow from seed, too. Look for the pink and white form as well, but it is harder to find. It’s ombre blooms will always get comments, and even the foliage is attractive as each leaf has a nice shape.
Rhodochiton atrosanguineus is a mouthful to say, but the Purple Bell Vine is undeniably the the showiest and perhaps the best behaved of all vines for containers.
Rhodochiton also blooms continuously, as well as produced flowers from top to bottom of the tower. The colorful bracts remain on the plant, as well, which adds to the effect.
The Love in a Puff vine may be more of a novelty than anything else, but if you’re a fan of more natural effects, its easy to grow from seed, and adds that authentic Victorian look to a garden.
Love in a Puff vine has perhaps the greatest name of any vine. It’s name comes from the seed, each of which has a tiny whitish heart appearing on the black surface. The seed capsules however appear first, like inflated lanterns, which are perhaps the most attractive part.
vLove in a Puff, or Cardiospermum can be pretty in the right setting. Forget about growing it for its flowers, though, they are tiny and hardly noticeable, it’s the inflated seed capsules that make it showing, as is the casual elegance of the stems.
The Canary Vine, Tropaeolum perigrinum hints to it’s nasturtium roots with its foliage, but once it blooms, it can surprise even experts.
The Canary Vine, Canary Bird Vine, or Canary Creeper is a true old fashioned annual that is a vigorous grower, that blooms late in the season with these pretty, frilled yellow flowers. It’s a nasturtium, if you haven’t noticed.
I’ve been lining paths in the vegetable parterre with annual vines on towers of bamboo canes, and the display is attractive in early summer, even when being trained, but also its portable, so once vines become stunning, I can bring them elsewhere, setting them into the perennial border, or even planting them out if they become too aggressive.
The Cypress Vine has to earn the award for best foliage, so ferny and pretty, who cares if it ever blooms?
Below, the Cypress Vine, Ipomoea quamoclit looks astonishing in a pot, even when young. It will overgrow the 5′ canes by August, but you can trim them back or try to re-wind them down. There are white and pink flowering selections as well.
The white flowered Cypress vine can look very elegant as a potted plant set in the garden. It’s only bad habit is that the flowers don’t drop off, handing like dirty socks instead, so remove them daily.
On the left, the Spanish Flag vine has bold foliage, but has yet to bloom in early August. The center vine is Ipomoea quamoclit, the Cypress Vine, and on the right, a selection of Thunbergia or Black Eyed Susan vine called ‘Tangerine Slice Appeal’ available from Proven winners, a sterile named highly performing selections, but seed-raised strains are available as well. I’ve noticed that seed raised plants are less showy and often have colors that fade, compared to the more pricey newer selections, but all perform well.
Thunbergia, or Black Eyed Susan vines are always a good choice for large containers. I particularly like them in our windowboxes, as I train them around our windows with wire. Non-stop blooms until frost.
By September, vines in pots will start to consume each other though, so be prepared. Some are better as remaining polite, but others, such as this Spanish Flag vine, will try to take over it’s neighbors. Hey…they’re vines.
This Canary Vine too became too crazy by mid-summer. It ended up taking over a nearby boxwood hedge, long before it started blooming. It think that in the future, it will be best planted below an evergreen shrub, where it can grow over the surface and bloom in late summer through autumn.
