Want to Beautify Your Wooden Fence? Try Growing Vines
Wooden fences are very practical. Your fence may stop your dog or kids from roaming, maintain your privacy,and keep strangers or wildlife away. But what if you don’t like how your fence looks?
If you need a fence in place but want to change how it looks, don’t overlook plants. A vine-covered fence is romantic and beautiful,and the greenery will make your home stand out. This blog will cover which vines will and won’t work with your wooden fence.
Which Vines Don’t Work With Wooden Fences?
If you want to grow vines on your fence, rest assured that it can be done. However, that doesn’t mean that all vines will grow successfully. You first need to know which vines you shouldn’t use.
Woody Vines
Unfortunately, many of the most beautiful vines can’t be used with wooden fences. Woody vines, meaning those that have dense, wood-like stems,can hold moisture against your fence. The water can rot the wood, which means you’ll have to replace your fence sooner rather than later. Additionally, many woody vines have very strong roots that could crack your fence apart.
Woody vines include wisteria, trumpet vine,and most types of ivy.
Invasive Species
If you plan something that doesn’t belong in your local ecosystem, you’ll have severe trouble keeping it contained. The most drastic example of an invasive vine in the United States is kudzu, imported from Asia. Kudzu has spread so rapidly, smothering other vegetation in its path, that it’s known as “the vine that ate the South.”
While you’re not likely to plant kudzu for your fence, you should still make sure to plan ta vine that will stay where you put it. If you’re worried about which plants are safe for your area, consult your local plant nursery. The people working there will know what works best in your region.
Which Vines Work With Wooden Fences?
Once you’ve ruled out woody or invasive vines, you have many options to choose from. The following is not an inclusive list-again, if you want more options, talk to someone at your local plant nursery. However,any of these vines could work well for you.
- Morning glory. This vine produces blue flowers that open in the morning (hence the name)and stay open until the evening. A morning glory vine can grow up to 10 feet long.
- Moonflower. This vine is the opposite of the morning glory-the fragrant white blossoms open at dusk and stay open at night. If you watch carefully, you can see them unfurl every evening in the summer. These vines can grow more than 15 feet long.
- Sweet pea. This vine doesn’t grow very long-only about three to five feet, which makes this vine best for a shorter fence. However, the flowers smell delightful, and the pink blossoms are especially beautiful.
- Cardinal climber vine. This vine puts out deep red blossoms, often with white or yellow throats. The vines can reach anywhere from 6 to 20 feet, making it a versatile plant.
These vines are all annuals, meaning they will die every autumn. You will have to take the dead vines off and replace them in the spring with new growth. However, despite the extra work, annuals are best for wooden fences because they are less likely to damage the wood itself, unlike plants that hold on year after year. Another advantage is that you can choose a new kind of flowering vine every year if you like.
Your wooden fence could look lovely covered in vines. However, if you like the idea of vines but want more options,consider upgrading your fence. Metal and vinyl fences hold up under climbing vines much better than wood, meaning that you can plant woodier vines on them.
If you want to change your fence, just call Mills Fence. We can help you decide what material will best fit your needs.