You don't say how sunny the area is or what your soil is like, and that will make a difference to what grows well. Your inspiration photos are in full sun which will produce the densest vines IME.

IME Virginia creeper isn't dense enough to make a good privacy screen and it tends to spread near the soil surface to other areas, so IMO while it's a great plant in the right spot, it doesn't look like it is a good choice for you. It also grows with little sucker type rootlets to hold on to a surface, and so is not suitable for the type of support you've chosen.

Type 1 or 2 prune clematis will continue to have good blooming without severe annual pruning, so you probably want to try one of those pruning types rather than hard pruning type 3, though IME the type 3's do regrow quickly. It will take a number of plants to fill that length of screen, how many depending on the particular cultivar you choose. To bloom and grow densely, you will need at least 5 hours of sun IME.

Aristolochia macrophylla (broadleaf birthwort, bigleaf pipevine, zone 4a-8b) and A. tomentosa (wooly pipevine, zone 5-10) are both native to the eastern USA and have quite robust foliage in the plants I've seen. The flowers are fairly subtle compared to the more tropical pipevines. They are fine in full sun to part shade.

For annuals in my area scarlet runner beans are quicker to grow and more vigorous than either morning glories and moonflowers (Ipomoea) or black-eyed Susan vines (Thunbergia), though you are in a warmer area than I am and your results may differ. Regardless, all of these are happiest in full sun.

All of these plants lose all their leaves in my zone and so will be bare all winter and until the leaves emerge in spring. One vine that keeps some of its leaves is the native coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens. My 'Major Wheeler' had blooms on it from June to December this year and it has retained about half its leaves so far, though it loses just about all of them in a really cold winter. Color range within the species ranges from yellow through orange to red and mine has played well with other plants in a perennial bed.

NHBabs- Thank you very much for your very detailed reply!

This proposed screen is on the west side of the house and will run north / south. I can safely say the entire area gets at least 5hrs of sun daily in the summer- with the exception of a patch shaded by a large pine. The soil is clay (amended with compost, sand, and topsoil).

The greatest challenge is the d--- deer. They eat everything! Something deer-resistant is essential. I'll research your suggestions and see which ones the deer reportedly like the least :)

Are there good online resources (links) about these various vines you can share?

For info on specific clematis, Clematis on the Web. Type in one word of the name (it doesn't like spaces) or the pruning type and leave the rest blank and you will get a list. Click on the names to get detailed info on the plants along with photos.

For general info on a wide range of plants, the Missouri Botanical Garden has a great search page that you can either type in requirements or the name to get a list of plants or one particular plant with detailed info.

I don't know if any of these are deer resistant. Have you considered a fence if coverage is really important?

There's an option on the MOBOT search (link above) that lets you put in plant type (vine) and deer resistance, and when I put those in along with zone 5, there was quite a list. I'd advise to not plant Wisteria or Trumpet vine since both tend to send out vigorous runners, and most folks who plant them regret it. They seem to think Clematis is deer resistant, but I'd advise using a spray to protect them until they get growing well.

Yes- I like that MOBOT link! Many clemantis listed there.

Be aware that deer resistance seems quite variable, depending on what is available and what the deer have become habituated to eating. That is why using deer sprays or a Scarecrow type of motion activated water "gun" or having a dog will help - anything that makes your area less deer friendly is a good idea. Once deer start eating in your yard, it is more difficult to get them to stop.

Babs- We have a dog--- a very old dog--- who at one time would chase deer for hours. Now she doesn't even know they are there :(

I hadn't thought of using a motion activated water spray.

Thanks Bill! I looked this one up. Has anyone had good success in 5b / 6a?

Gelsemium sempervirens 'Margarita'

Carolina jessamine

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Gelsemium sempervirens ‘Margarita’ is a striking native vine. Plants have glossy lance shaped evergreen leaves and an abundance of fragrant yellow trumpet shaped flowers. This vigorous twining vine thrives in moist soils in full sun to part shade.

HABITAT & HARDINESS: Gelsemium sempervirens ranges through the southeastern United States from USDA Zones 7-9. Plants occur from Virginia to Florida and west to east Texas.

The cultivar ‘Margarita’ was selected for its large showy flowers by Don Jacobs of Eco Gardens in Decatur, Georgia. Jacobs named the plant for his wife and introduced it into the nursery trade. It has since proven to have superior cold tolerance and is hardy from USDA Zones 6-9.

Bill's thrives in 6b RI, mine on the border of zones 4b and 5a in central NH doesn't, though it hasn't died, so you are kind of in the middle. You could always try one as part of your mix and if it doesn't do well you can replace it. It's available via mail order through Brushwood Nursery and Lazy S's Nursery, both of which I've ordered from more than once and been quite pleased with. Both also have great reviews on Garden Watchdog.

Ii agree Babs, it might be worth a shot if you say yours at least survive, while mine here don't even lose a single leaf, so I would guess the hardiness might be enough for someone on the border of 5-6. But it MUST be the "Margarita" cultivar for that extra hardiness. I noticed also that zone 5-6 says it will run north-south along the west side of the house. The hours of sun will be fine, but it will be exposed to W and NW winds in winter. I will say that the two I have draped over the walls are also facing west, and they get blown back and sometimes up over the wall all the time, and whenever I'm out there I pull them back down to hang down again, and they don't seem to mind at all.....perfectly hardy and green. So may be OK for zone 5-6.

Have you attempted this yet, Abby Marshall? How has it worked out for you? I'm getting ready to build a similar structure in my yard, and came upon this thread when researching vine types and design ideas.

Hi Lindsay- no, I didn't. I ended up building a couple of trellis' out of cedar. Good luck!

Clematis terniflora is deer resistant and is very very vigorous. So it'll fill up your fence real quick. Has Its also full sun to part shade so it is versatile when it comes to location too. Look this plant up in missouribotanical garden and it states everything you need