Given the apparent size of that arbor/trellis (compared to the hostas), I would not recommend planting anything other than a single vine. I doubt it will adequately support both a climbing rose AND a flowering vine!! And I would focus on the large flowering hybrids with any clematis rather than the typically much larger growing species.........SAC would eat that arbor in a heartbeat in my area!!

There are pink or purple tinged honeysuckles you could plant - they are usually considered bicolors in that the buds often show these colors but the flowers tend to open to a blush or pale creamy yellow. Look for Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina', 'Belgica' or 'Peaches and Cream', aka late Dutch honeysuckle. All are extremely fragrant, beloved by hummingbirds and NOT invasive.

If you were willing to move to plant this vine, I'd suggest passionflower. Also to be noted, it's a major wanderer and wouldn't be suitable for this site/purpose, but you gotta love the flowers (photo).

You might do well to consider clematis 'Rooguchi', it's a hybrid of a native and an exotic clematis, is a bushy type (ie you can clean the trellis every year as it grows from the ground each year) and it blooms absolutely non-stop. (link to MoBot). It's very vigorous, but the flowers are like our native, bell shaped.

Mobot Page about Rooguchi

IME Rooguchi does best growing up the inside of an obelsik since it doesn't cling on its own. You would need to somehow fasten it to the arch. If you are open to non climbing ones like Rooguchi, there are also a bunch of other ones that would be a reasonable size, but would want some way of fastening to the trellis such as plastic plant clips, which are quick and easy to put on. Rooguchi is a long blooming, lovely plant however. Since there are plenty of choices of 6' clematis now, I would choose one of those rather than using SAC. One I grow that is a contained size, in the realm of your pink color preference, and summer blooming is Giselle. I don't know how long you have had yours, but IME clematis just keep getting larger each year with more stems and a more full look. I honestly think you will regret planting a large specimen like SAC with PC on that trellis since PC is not a huge plant and not nearly as robust.

Yes, a combo of Rooguchi and another taller vine would look nice (imo)

Gardengal the hostas are huge and the arbor is 7’.

Babs I don’t want any regrets either, so I will leave the sac on the fence, thank you.

I do like like that Rooguchi but really would like a climber.

Traffic backs up during rush hour in front of my house, so I’d like something colorful for them to look at while sitting there.

What do you thing about Henryi type 2 with Venosa Violacea type 3 pictured here?

or the pink champagne with Henryi?

Something softer?

There are just so many to choose from and I’m feeling overwhelmed...

Maybe I should just make it easy and go with a rose lol!

7' is still not very a very large arbor for most vines......it's hard to find many clems that will stay under 8'. Ditto with honeysuckles. But if you planted two relatively small clems - one on each side of the arbor - that could work. And for ease of maintenance, I'd suggest you pick both from the same pruning goup.

What about one of the smaller climbing roses? Zephirine Drouhin?

Gardengal I did think about the different groups and what a pain it would be.

Would really like something long blooming, so it looks like roses just might be the solution.

Saypoint thank you, I will look that one up. I did come across one called ‘Eden’ and it’s a re bloomer. Very pretty and med fragrance.

I have very little experience with roses only growing the ‘fairy’, so the search is on....

I have found Venosa Violacea to stay a manageable size thus far (it’s a favorite), and since the two clematis will bloom at different times if one is a type 3 and the other is type 2, it doesn’t much matter if they match. This far north, many of my type 2s actually can be pruned like type 3s since they are killed back to the snow line and so don’t have flowers on old growth and I prune them all at the same time. I cut them back, they put out new growth and grow quickly to bloom in late May into June for me most years. The type 3s start blooming soon after.

How about clematis Sweet Summer Love? I adore mine. It repeat blooms for me (although not as heavy) and the smell is wonderful. I could stand there and smell it all day lol. The flowers are small but in abundance. Depending how far from the road it is, they might not be large enough to stand out though. My trellis is too small for it but it just intermingles with its two neighbors ( one being Venosa Violacea) and cascades down to the ground. Did I mention I love it? Haha.

It will be a challenge to find a repeat blooming rose that will cover your arch in Z 5. Clems or honeysucklemaybe the way to go.

Babs you’re the best! Clems it will be then...Thank you!

growgirl thanks for the suggestion but you’re right, I would like bigger blooms. Wouldn’t it be nice if all clems were fragrant?

And Dingo thanks for confirming what I did read somewhere. I imagine it would be close to a complete dieback.

Ive seen many clems are out of stock now, so I’ve got to get busy as my choices are getting slim.

Thank you again everyone.

I have rose Zephirine Drouhin mentioned above. It is against a stone retaining wall and we typically have good snow cover which can blow against the wall, so it is fairly well protected. It usually dies back to the snow line, but regrows fairly quickly, but doesn’t get taller than about 5’ or 6’. Blooms are pink and scented, and it tends to bloom heavily in June, slow down or stop during the hot part of summer, and then throw out a few more blooms when it starts cooling off in early fall. it is lovely for anywhere that people may pass by since it has few thorns, and in my garden on the edge of its hardiness is a plant more to be appreciated up close than over a distance. It would need clipping to the trellis, but hasn’t had much if any disease or insect issues for me since it is not usually in bloom when the Japanese beetles are present..

While I would recommend ZD for a sheltered spot where you will be nearby somewhat often to appreciate the blooms, clean foliage, and light scent, I don’t see it as right for your arch in such an exposed spot, especially since it wouldn’t be particularly visible over a distance.

Yes I found ZD quite appealing. And you are correct...this area is totally exposed. I tried knock out roses here several years back and they never did well. Probably my fault? Ended up shovel pruning them.

Any ideas where I can order older clems vs tiny starts?

Or Joy Creek Nursery

Back again :)

I took a couple more pictures and hoping for some more help please. I’m stuck again. : /

After scolling and scrolling looking at clems, I can’t decide on what colors now lol. Want to plant 2 on the arbor, and I’ve just looked at way too many possibilities....

So if you’d be so kind, I’d be grateful for your opinions to help me decide. Thanks!

I’d really like to get it right the first time as I just recently replanted my back bed....only to realize the colors just don’t work together :(

You’d think I’d learn by now...

It comes down to a matter of personal preference, but I’m not seeing a dark colored flower here. Something pale that picks up on the silvery foliage would really stand out IMO. But I love white, pale, pastel, and cool colored flowers, especially in summer when it’s hot, and in the evening.

Agree..dark would be too harsh.

Wish we had a ’groveraxle’ on gardenweb lol. (he’s a very helpful guy on the home decor side who does an excellent job of cutting and pasting :)

I don’t have groveraxle’s skills, but... I tried a very pale color but it didn’t stand up to the dark evergreens. Here’s a medium purple, light enough to show up against dark foliage.

Awesome!! :0) I’d say you did an excellent job!!

Anyway to do it on the other pic? I know it’s harder to see the arbor in that one.

Could you do a darker pink and white? Maybe not, adding two colors.

Pink roses and white Clem?

lol you created a monster!

That’s so awesome, thank you so much for taking the time to do that!

What app do you use? You must be on a PC? I’d love to be able to do that but I don’t have a computer :(

But I can screenshot! Lol

You’re welcome. I use Photoshop Mix which is free to download for iPad.. i don’t think it’s available free for PC. It’s a bit crude, but fun to play with. Nothing like real Photoshop. If you find a picture of another color you want to try, post a link to the image and I’ll try to do it. It can be anything on an arbor, or at least a vertical group of flowers, just for the color.

Thank you, that just amazes me. I guess maybe I’m showing my age lol.

I do have one if can find a good pic. Its the pink champagne I just planted but thinking it may be to harsh.

Bbl

Here’s one not sure if it’s the right shape?

https://garden.org/thread/view/35566/Pink-Champagne-Advice-Needed/

Here are a couple more. I’ll try the one you posted. I’m guessing your age is probably about the same as mine. I remember howdy doody time.

Lmao!!

I’m favoring the pink, what about you?

I like it. The one you posted.

Ohhh I do too!! Thanks so much!!

One more? Just to see what my original planned one would look like?

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-clematis-venosa-violacea-vt-agm-172005082.html

Although I’m sure it’s much lighter , but it was the best shaped one I could find.

A little hard to work with, but here it is.

Wow!! I like it :0)

I like it the most!

Which one do you like?

I like both of the ones you chose. Most of my old garden was pinks and purples through most of the spring and early summer. I think I like the purple better.

I know those are definitely my dominant colors too. I wonder what both of them look like on it?

Wonder no more. They’re very similar.

Hmmm not so sure about that...

Ideally I’d like 2 different ones to be able to extend the bloom. Maybe a solid purple with it instead of pink?

You do great work! I know it’s getting late and I really appreciate the time you took to help me. I definitely like the purple and couldn’t have imagined it working just visualising it alone, thank you so much!...maybe we can pick up tomorrow where we left off?

I don’t know now... it’s kind of growing on me ;0)

Sure. Find some pics of something you like and I’ll find time to do them.

Will do thanks!

I’ve been playing :)

‘jolly good’ clematis...

(A little too boxy)

The first one I did is a more blue-violet than a red-violet, which I think works well with your other colors. In the end it comes down to what you like best. If you plant something and it doesn’t thrill you, you can always move it to another spot in a couple of years and plant something else. Not written in stone.

Lily’s ‘Margaret hunt’. I really like this one a lot.

Sorry had to clean up a coffee spill.

While I do love the first one, to my eye it looks a little too blue.

I will play with it more later and with luck I’ll be able to find the ones I like in stock.

Youve been so helpful plus showed me a new tool to play with :)

Thanks a bunch!

Are you using photoshop mix? Use the cutout tool to make the edges irregular.

Yes the same one. I’ll check it out thanks.

I like your earlier idea of one pink type 2 spring bloom and Venosa Violacea for summer. If they don’t overlap, why do the colors need to be the same?

They don’t have to be the same, I’m just playing with the colours to see what will blend well with what I have. Looking back at my early Bloomers I may just go with a white Type II. Then either the VV, or a shade close to Margaret Hunt. There are just so many to choose from. I got overwhelmed and took a break lol.

So after all the fun with this, I decided on.......

Selling it lol

I made a nice profit, gotta love craigslist :)

Decided I prefer the garden without it...

Haha, good choice.

What?!?! Did not see that coming!!!

Although, sadly, I have to say that I agree: it looks better without...

It WAS a fun game, though!

Lol I know pretty surprising eh?

Thanks...at first I thought I might regret selling it as I’ve always wanted one. But I now I’m fine with it as I really do like it without too....