what does the house look like (style) and what other palnts are around it? you might try some type of ivy, clematis, passiflora, kudzu (just kidding). if the vine must be evergreen you'll be severely limiting your options.

i have even seen pyarcantha trimmed to follow a railing. looked cool but im sure it was a lot of work.

good luck and get back to us with more info and im sure we can come up with some better sugestions.

I love clems. Polish Spirit is a particular favorite of mine -- it is tough, it grows large, and if you prune it wisely it will bloom all summer. :-)

Thank you for the suggestions -- I have wondered about both ivy and clematis. My concern about ivy was that it might get out of hand -- every summer my dad curses the ivy I planted at their house when I was little girl. I love the way it looks, though. Would it cover a gaurdrail? I am not very familiar with vines and their growing habits. I didn't think a clematis would climb it, either -- I thought they needed smaller structures to climb up. I am pretty inexperienced!

The style of the house is cottage. It is just a very small cottage, grey-blue in color. There are a couple of pine trees in front, and what looks to be tiger lilies growing along the sidewalk -- a few shrubs here and there, but I don't know what kinds. I plan to go with the cottage-garden feel. The yard is pretty small -- I plan to have a vegetable and herb garden in the sunniest spot, and add a few perennials each year -- keep a small lawn in the front.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

Rachel

I just looked at pictures of passiflora, pyarcantha, and the Polish Spirit clem -- all beautiful! I like that the pyarcantha is evergreen, but I wonder if I could be successful given my lack of experience. Anyway, thank you both for your suggestions -- I will look further in these directions.
Rachel