Flowering vine suggestions

(Question)

Would you be able to recommend a flowering vine that I could use on my Belgium fence (diamond shape wire trills) which is fastened to a wooden fence. I am looking for a vine that has small leaves and small flowers, the fence area is approximately 16 feet wide by 7 feet tall.

Where I plan to plant the vine the soil condition is mostly clay with some sand. The area receives the morning sun until about 1pm and then shade for the remainder of the day.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

(Answer)

Thank-you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners with your question about flowering vines.

I am guessing that you would like to plant a hardy perennial vine that will persist from year to year. I have made a few suggestions below. You may also wish to see your trellis covered in the first year while you are waiting for your “permanent” vine to grow. An annual vine could fill in for the short term. It is a little late for planting this year, but you may still find some options such as Mandevilla and Thunbergia at the garden centre.

One of the most popular choices for a flowering vine is clematis. Morning sun is perfect for these vines. You have enough space on your fence for 2 vines. People often combine 2 varieties so they can enjoy 2 colours blooming at the same time or 2 different flowering times for an extended bloom time. There are many named varieties with smaller flowers if that is your preference. ‘Betty Corning’ is a reliable bloomer with smallish, nodding lilac coloured bell-shaped flowers. The Sweet autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata) is a strong grower. It has a profusion of small white flowers toward the end of the summer and into the fall. This makes it a nice choice when combined with an earlier bloomer. If you choose this robust grower, make sure to plant it well away from your other vine so that it does not out-compete the less aggressive grower. In planting clematis, remember to ensure that the bottom of the vine needs protection from the sun. You can mulch, but an underplanting of a low-growing perennial or groundcover is ideal.

A couple of alternative flowering vines you could consider are Perennial sweet pea (Lathyrus latifolius) or one of the Honeysuckles (Lonicera ssp.). The sweet pea is a strong grower and has flowers in the white to pink to purple range in June through early August. There are some native honeysuckles which are particularly good options (see list below).

The following link gives you several options for your trellis situation:

https://landscapeontario.com/climbing-vines

More choices, including some discussion about the plant characteristics are included in this article:

https://www.cbc.ca/life/home/everything-you-need-to-know-about-climbing-plants-and-how-to-choose-them-1.5736101

Best of luck with your vine!