You might think I'm joking but I'm not-how about pole beans? May as well get some good food out of the deal, and the plants look good right through the summer months.

I grow clematis in a similar situation as your sister. There are lots of different kinds most with no scent. The few with scent have a tendency to grow huge and cover everything and not really good for containers... I grew armandii ( one of the huge variety) for 6 years in a 1/2 wine barrel, it looked good in year 4 and 5 but after year 6 it had to go. The deer are a problem if they can get to a clematis and there is die back in the winter. Many people don't like clematis because if they are not pruned the right way, they can look bare at the bottom... that never bothered me too much but that tendency can be avoided by pruning correctly. If she is interested, she can probably find clematis at the nurseries right now. Lots of pretty colors and really easy to grow.... I've never grown passion vine but I think they look beautiful and maybe she can mix the clematis with the passion vine. It looks like you are in zone5a, what zone is she in?

wisconsitom has a good idea. I grew hyacinth vines last year in my vegetable garden. Supposed to be non edible but I also read that they can be eaten if picked young and cooked well. Grew really fast after starting out a little slow, I don't think they like too much heat and there is no scent. Easy to grow and lovely flowers that can be picked as a cut flower.

She lives near the Bay Area, CA in zone 9b. Technically, the area isn't
like in San Francisco where the weather is more moderate. In her area,
the summer can get really hot (up to 100 on rare occasions) and may
freeze on some days of the year. The area is really dry. Plants need
irrigation and it's not a great area for plants that needs humidity.

The beans are an intriguing idea. I need to check if it will work on her area. I was thinking also thinking of Nasturtium, which I believe grows in her area. Do bean dig into the wall. I was trying to avoid getting plants that can climb walls without a trellis, since they may stick tot he fence. I have also grown clematis in my in-law's yard. The variety grown didn't seemed to get very big. May be I have to wait a few years.

Another question, do you think a trellis net will hold that much weight?

Paul

Yes I'm in the Bay Area as well... Marin County.. Most beans I have grown climb by twisting so the trellis you are putting up will be fine. Hard to say about the weigh... If you think there could be a problem perhaps place the starts/seeds further apart? I have found most trellis sold can hold a good amount of bean/pea weight.

Yes, pole beans (Kentucky Wonder, Blue Lake Stringless, etc.) fasten by twisting tendrils, so no damage to masonry, wood, etc. They do get pretty rambunctious when growing conditions are to their liking, but in a food plant, that's a plus.

We grow pole beans every year in nothing more than the sawed-in-half whiskey barrels. The do require frequent watering when containerized like this, but everything else about it is to the good-easy harvesting, little to no weed issues, easy pest control (although we've never had anything on ours)...it just really can work well. For whatever reason, last summer was a bean bonanza. We're not real big on canning and freezing, but we did freeze beans. Just had some with supper last night. Mmm...good!

Plants that attach so you want to avoid include ivy, Parthenocissus (which includes Virginia creeper and Boston ivy), creeping fig, climbing hydrangeas (and the similar Schizophragma), all of which attach via aerial roots or suckers and all of which are perennials.

I don't know of any annual vines that attach with aerial roots; all that I am familiar with climb via twining stems or tendrils or by scrambling/leaning on their support. Around here you would be fine with beans and morning glories, among other annuals, but I don't know how they do in really dry air. Thunbergia alata/black-eyed Susan vine is a perennial in zones 10 and 11, so might sometimes winter over for your sister if she has a warmer than usual winter and its cheerful white, yellow, or orange have no scent.

I guess if I were her, I would go ahead and jump in with perennials such as her wished-for passion flowers rather than starting with annuals. If she decides after a couple of years that it isn't what she wants, she can gift her plant to a gardener or put the pot and plant out with a "free" sign or similarly on Craigslist to get rid of it. I would be more likely to use a metal or wooden frame with wire fencing over it that leans or arches between the pot and the fence rather than netting. Netting tends to sag, and at season's end or if pruning is needed, it is really difficult to separate the netting from the plant material.

Also, there are lots of other perennial vines, including many clematis that have been bred to grow small enough for large pots. I've never tried a rose in a pot, but there may be smaller climbing roses that work, and they often work well mixed with clematis. Most clematis and some roses have no scent, so you would want to research whether a particular type has scent.

hyacinth bean, showy, good shade, easy