Gardeners should carefully consider the planting site when choosing a perennial vine.

Vines can be enchanting in any season.  June brings the sweet, old-fashioned smell of honeysuckle and the starry flowers of clematis.  While the riotous orange blossoms of trumpet vine light up late summer gardens, Englemann ivy paints September fences scarlet, and in the deepest winter, the evergreen leaves of English ivy serve as a reminder of the green world of summer.  However, for the most captivating show, gardeners must be sure to put the right vine in the right place.

In addition to the usual concerns of sun, soil, and water, gardeners planting vines need to take into account the ways in which vines climb and the structure they are expecting the vine to climb upon.  There are essentially three ways in which vines can climb: by twining, by tendrils, or by rootlike shoots.

Twiners twist their sturdy stems around a support.  These supports must be very strong and require little maintenance.  For instance, the structure should not require painting.  Twiners are also not suitable for growing up trees as they can girdle the growing trunks and branches. Wisteria, Dutchman's pipe, silver-lace vine, and honeysuckle are all twiners.

Some vines climb by tendrils; their wispy stems wrap around supports and thrive on small grids like chain link or chicken wire.  Clematis, which climbs by leaf stems is probably the best known of these vines.

Vines that climb by rootlike shoots include Boston ivy and English ivy.  Trumpet vine climbs by twining and by producing rootlike shoots. These vines can trap in moisture and harm wooden structures, but they make elegant cloaks for stone walls or tree trunks.

Once you know the way a vine climbs and the support it demands, you can choose the perfect vine for your site.

When most people think of flowering vines, they probably think of large-flowering clematis. Blooming in summer, these sun-loving vines have flowers several inches wide in a dazzling array of colors that are impossible to overlook.  However, there are a number of varieties of clematis which feature smaller flowers that are also worth consideration, including Sweet Autumn, a white flowering variety with a delicate scent that begins to bloom in August.  Clematis prefer a site where their tops are in the sun but their roots are shaded by a generous layer of mulch or smaller plants, and clematis make ideal companions for climbing roses.  When purchasing a clematis, gardeners should ask for pruning directions as some varieties bloom only on new wood.

Dutchman's pipe is a lesser-known vine that is adaptable to just about any situation.  The vine is happy in sunlight or in shade, and its large heart-shaped leaves, which lay perfectly flat, make an ideal deciduous screen.  The vine gets its name from its inconspicuous brown flowers that resemble little pipes.

Honeysuckle is an old garden favorite, but its rambunctious ways have made it a pest in other climates.  In Colorado, honeysuckle is easily controlled, and there are many good varieties to plant.  Gardeners who are attracted to honeysuckle primarily for its fragrance should consider Hall's honeysuckle or Graham Thomas honeysuckle.  Bird watchers will want to plant Dropmore honeysuckle as its scentless fiery red trumpets attract hummingbirds.  Heckrotti honeysuckle, nicknamed Pink Lemonade for its luscious pink and pale yellow blooms, has a light scent.  Honeysuckle performs well in full sun or light shade.

For shady sites, gardeners should consider Boston or English ivy.  Boston ivy has large green leaves that turn a stunning gold before they drop in fall.  English ivy retains its deep green leaves throughout the winter. Englemann ivy, otherwise known as Virginia creeper or woodbine, is suitable for sunnier sites.  The green leaves of this vigorous, drought tolerant plant quickly cover fences in summer and turn a glowing red in fall.

Silver-lace vine is a great option for dry sunny sights.  Although its leaves are somewhat weedy looking, its foamy white flowers in mid to late summer dress up any wall.

Trumpet vine is also a sun lover.  Its brash red, orange, or yellow flowers are born in clusters and attract hummingbirds and extrovert gardeners alike.  However, trumpet vine is slow to come out of dormancy in spring and needs a few years to begin to produce blooms.

Similarly, wisteria can take up to ten years to produce blooms, but the gardener's patience is rewarded by its romantic, fragrant clusters of purple bloom that look a little like grapes.  Wisteria requires a good, sunny site and ruthless pruning to flower abundantly.

Finally, when planting vines the gardener should be sure to adequately amend the soil in the planting site.  Although vines look lovely scrambling up walls and fences, soils near these structures are often poor and dry.  When planting vines, a little planning goes a long way.

Q: I found a spider in my home that looks like a black widow but, it has red-orange spots on the abdomen with white stripes down the sides.  What is it?

A:  Most spiders are not considered dangerous and are actually beneficial.  However, two spiders found in Colorado, the black widow and the brown recluse, have poisonous bites. The black widow is common throughout Colorado; the brown recluse is not. The female black widow is jet black or dark brown and usually has red markings that can take the shape of an hourglass on the underside of the abdomen. It is poisonous. The male, smaller with brown markings, is not poisonous. If the spider you found has the telltale hourglass on the underside of its abdomen, you have indeed found a black widow.  The immature stages of the spider bear the spots and stripes.

Q:  My garden produced a lot of winter squash.  How do I know when it is ready to harvest?

A: When the fruits have matured, the vines have been frost killed, and the skin is hard to pierce with your fingernail, the squash is ready.  Leave the stems on to protect the fruit from disease.  The squash can then be stored at an optimal 50-60 degrees F for most of the winter.

Q: I found termites around my home.  How do I get rid of them?

A: First, have a professional positively identify the insects as termites. Winged termites are often confused with ants, especially carpenter ants. Once identified, locate where they may have gained access to your home.  Get an assessment of the extent of infestation before undertaking control.  Use care in selecting a professional.  Termites can be controlled by bait stations and low toxicity termiticides.  Once the problem is under control, identify and eliminate the circumstances that allowed it to develop in the first place.

Remember when planting to make sure you leave enough room for plants to grow to their mature size. The plantings might look a little sparse at first but proper spacing will allow for healthy top and root growth and prevent the need for constant pruning down the road. To fill in the "empty space" initially, plant annuals that will look nice but will die back each year.

If you are tired of going back to pick up piles of pulled weeds, try using a wheeled cart.  Put in a 13-gallon trash bag and attach a buckle on the handle to hold your gardening tools.

If you are tired of wearing gloves when you are gardening but want your hands to remain easy to clean, try using a 'painter's glove.' This is a hand lotion that can last up to three days before needing to be reapplied.  It lets you enjoy playing in the dirt without anyone noticing it on your hands. This product can be purchased at craft stores.

The authors have received training through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and is a Master Gardener volunteer for Larimer County.

Gardening and Insect Fact Sheets are available on-line by clicking HERE.

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This page updated:  October 3, 2003