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muddysocks

Snout house vine dilemma

19 years ago

I have one of those snout houses, you know, where the garage juts out from the house. Over the years I have thought of and tried to soften the look by planting vines which would grow up one side and over the front of the garage. Here are my results after ten years:

Wisteria - wonderful blooms and grew really fast (I'm into instant gratification). Problem - tried to take the house down. Out it went.

Clematis (evergreen and otherwise) - Just sulked. The garage faces west so they got plenty of sun and there was/is a lavender planted at the base to shade the roots. Still, nada. They didn't seem to like the intense heat.

Jasmine - either star jasmine or jasmine officinale (I know there is a BIG difference between the two). I planted this in the fall after many mild winters. The last two winters it has been hit by the freezing east winds and even covering it did nothing to keep it from becoming a brown mess - but it still lives.

Ideally, I would like something that would grow twenty feet or so. The jasmine just keeps freezing back and will never grow across the garage at the current rate.

So, any suggestions? I would think a sun and heat lover would love this site.

Comments (8)

  • 19 years ago

    Hi Muddysocks, did you try any of the montana clematis? I had great luck with montana wilsonii, in mass it's quite beautiful, the fragrance is lovely as well. It completely covered my lath house. We have a few days in the summer that hit the 90's, mostly we're in the high 70's and low 80's.

    A......

  • 19 years ago

    I was going to suggest clematis montana too, although not especially pretty in Jan and Feb.

    I have c. montana Marjorie in a bakey position (well, as bakey as coastal Washington can be) in poor compacted soil at the foot of an ancient limbed up pine. It's a windy SW exposure where it doesn't get much water in late summer or Fall, although I do top dress the root zone with compost each Spring.

    After a slow start and one year where a heavy wet late snow brought it down, it's thriving - and blooms heavily in May for a very long time.

  • 19 years ago

    Clematis take at least three years to do much.

  • 19 years ago

    Yes, I agree Clematis take awhile to get going, here's my wilsonii after ten years completely covering the lath house. It's not a great pic but, it gives you an idea of what it looked like. We've got a better camera now so should be able to get better photo's in the future. Last year we cut it back so I could hang my Fuchsias there again, at least for a couple of years. :-)

    A......

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1071090}}

  • 19 years ago

    I've got a chain-link fence really close to the house on the east side, 150'.
    Previous owner planted evergreen honeysuckle which is doing well, very fragrant and the hummingbirds love it, plus other birds live in it. Clematis armandii is there too, doesn't like the heat, wants more shade, have it bungee-corded in a canopy over walk, is starting to flower now, white fragrant. Doubt it will ever grow big there because too hot. Other kinds of clematis there too, doing well. Also trumpet vine, good in late summer.

    Neighbor had the most gorgeous prolific wisteria (planted years ago by another owner) against another chainlink fence, but last fall they dug a huge trench right in front of it and severed its roots. The murderous brutes! Wisteria just needs to be trimmed. It's so beautiful. Does really well here.

    I've got a lot of star jasmine. A previously established bush is thriving. My little ones (10) are barely alive since the last 2 winter freezes died them down to the roots. Maybe if we get a mild winter they'll get established enough to thrive? All these growing on chainlink fence (150' X 75' perimeter). Last fall planted a whole bunch of vines from forestfarm, will see how they do.

    Have a deciduous hydrangea vine which is pretty but small, slow-growing, and doesn't give the coverage I need for privacy. I'm thinking of doing a super no-no and planting English Ivy to finally get a green wall.

    Wild songbirds really flit and flutter and hang out in mature climbing vines. As soon as I determine what will grow well in my yard and cover the chainlink, I plan to cover it all with vines for looks and birds.

  • 19 years ago

    Can't help...too busy laughing at the snout house...

  • 19 years ago

    mkirkwag - I have considered painting a pig snout on the garage door and a pigs butt on the driveway but my lovely husband won't let me. Keep laughing....

  • 19 years ago

    How about one of the ornamental grape varieties? V. vinifera 'Purpurea', 'Laciniata', V. coignetiae, etc.

    With enough water, you might also be able to grow Campsis radicans or Lonicera henryi.

    You might consider Clematis ternifolia (paniculata) - it is extremely vigorous and drought tolerant.

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