And I have much the same question. I have grape vines trained over rose arches and wonder if I can train a honeysuckle "Major Wheeler" over them too? (Would it choke the grapes...hard to imagine, but possible.)

Kimcoco, I do have roses and clematis growing together on another arch. In fact, two of each...a creamy rose with a purple clematis, and a deep pink rose with a pale pink clematis. Don't know whether a trellis would be big enough to combine vines...depends on the size of the trellis, I guess. And the habit of the honeysuckle...hence my question.

I decided to put the honeysuckle where I currently have a clematis (madame julia correvon - JUST planted it), and moved the clematis to the trellis with my newly planted climbing rose bush.

Now, trailing off the subject here...I'm ASSUMING that I don't prune back rose bushes in the fall/spring????

In any case, I thought the rose bush and clematis would be a better combination with the thought that the honeysuckle and rose bush would be overcrowded.

The only downside to this is that my rose bush flowers red, and so does the clematis. Yeah, I know that's not going to be a contrast but I didn't know where else to put the darn thing!!!

Julia, the roses and clematis are on one arch, and the grapes are on another...actually it's one of those sets of three large rose arches from Jackson and Perkins, spaced so that the whole "arbor" is maybe 8' square. We put pavers underneath it and it makes a nice little shaded "room" for a round table and chairs. (One of the better gardening ideas I've had.) The grapes look so pretty hanging down through the arches. I love the idea of the honeysuckle, but now that I think about it, it's going to be a non-starter anyway because we use the grape leaves for making Greek dolmades, so I can't block any access. Rats! Hey, maybe I'll rip out the sweet pea and put the honeysuckle there. Would a 6' obelisk be big enough??

Kimcoco, you will want to prune the roses in the spring to remove winter damage. Your weather is probably a lot like ours and we always have some winter kill. Once the plant starts showing leaf buds, you want to prune it back to just above a set of good fat healthy buds. Also, you'll want to prune it such that renegade branches going in the wrong direction are removed, and such that you have good air circulation. To be honest, I don't give my roses enough care, but even with the minimal amount they get from me, they still perform. You are supposed to prune clematis back too, but that gets more complicated. There are three types, and all have different requirements...timing, where to prune, how much to prune, etc. I'd suggest getting a book on pruning. A very wise garden investment.

Well, I have quite a few wine grape vines, and I read that pole beans can grow up them, and that the beans add nutrients to the soil that the grapes love. Hmmmm I'm thinking about that option!

I don't have any of my roses with clematis, for the simple fact that I was told roses love a lot of water, and clematis only like a deep watering maybe once weekly. Both have performed well for me under those conditions, but my roses do suffer from black spot and powdery mildew. I purchased another this year that is supposed to be disease resistant...we'll see. The other two, climbing Don Juan and Sombreuil...both died back practically to the ground in spite of my efforts to wrap the canes in burlap, bury the crown, etc. But they have nice new growth this year, and Don Juan blooms are beautiful. I love the red. I've moved them to different locations and they've handled it well. Now that I think of it, maybe I need to move the Sombreuil away from my grape vine...maybe it's too close to risk the mildew spreading to my grape vine.

My grape vine, I believe this is the fourth year, FINALLY bears fruit. Yeaaaayyyy! They're concord grapes.

This is my second year with my honeysuckle, no foliar problems at all and it looks beautiful. I actually planted a clematis with it, and they're both doing well so far, though I read that honeysuckles don't like to share root space.

The rest of my clematis, and this is only my second year, are also doing well. I don't get to enjoy blooms until later in the season - clematis forum says to keep pruning back the first two to three years until the end of July? (I can't remember exactly) to promote root development. They are definitely fuller this year, and the blooms last year were beautiful. I have 20+ clematis (I lost count) on less than 1/8 acre lot! LOL. Most of them are planted along my fence lining my driveway, so when they are full grown it will look stunning.

I also planted a climbing hydrangea alongside my house last year, it is doing well. The only problem is it will sit there for the next 4-5 years before it will take off, but I was told once it does, it's a stunner. And it doesn't damage mortar.

Chicago Botanic Gardens - Plant Profile, Vines, Climbing Hydrangea -
"Not all vines grow in the same manner, but most require a good support to look and grow their best. Some larger vines, such as climbing hydrangea, Boston ivy or English ivy, send out hundreds of hairlike rootlets from their main stems. These rootlets stick to cement, brick, wood and even metal. In the case of climbing hydrangea, rootlet strength is such that homeowners in brick homes who value their tuckpointing are advised to weigh the benefits of the vine (attractive greenery on stone, cooling effect in summer) against the potential disadvantages (rootlets can penetrate mortar)."