Today is the autumnal equinox, that celestial event that officially marks the end of summer. But it was just after Labor Day, which for many people is really summer’s grand finale, that I started noticing the fluffy white blooms of sweet autumn clematis around my neighborhood. Here it is clambering around a white picket fence in a suburban front yard.

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Vines are probably the most versatile landscape plants around. No other plants can be used to create such a wide variety of effects.

Vines can soften and link architectural structures like arbors, fences, arches, and walls to the yards or gardens around them. They can also be used creatively to provide shade, privacy, flowers, ground cover, or fragrance.

I’ve seen vines described as lazy plants, because they have to rely on other plants or structures for support — but I’ve always thought of them as ambitious plants that will aim for the sky.

Here are a few creative uses of vines that caught my eye on a recent garden tour. Continue reading →