Photo below. I'm fine with it draping down and getting higher than 10'. The hydrangea can get 60', which is why it's out. That's much much too big for this area! Bloom colors aren't as important as being able to see the blooms. Some blooms need sunshine on them to really shine. I just want the blooms to be visible. I think dark blooms would fade into the background, so I was avoiding the dark purples, etc. I haven't figured out supports yet, but dh didn't want to do anything fancy. My dh LOVES LOVES LOVES lights in winter. He really struggles with the long days. There is an electrical outlet on the porch to the right, which you can see in the second photo. I was thinking about growing something between the two windows and also to the left of the windows. Would love to be able to put two different vines in a spot so the different flowers mingle together, too. This area was filled with awful standard Euonymus fortuneii which the deer helped me out with by eating it enough this winter that I could actually see the thick stumps and cut it down. I already have some rhododendrons that will go in there.

Houzz will not let me post the second picture, even as a comment to my original post. Will try later.

I have started looking through lists of shade tolerant clematis and of those I will give you a list of those I grow that climb. They will all bloom less fully in shade IME. I haven’t included any type 1 since if you hard prune you lose the flowers, and I am not including herbaceous ones that don’t climb but need an obelisk in which to grow up the middle or to be fastened on. If you want to consider those let me know. The number is the pruning type; 3 is hard prune and blooms in summer, and 2 can be hard pruned but it delays flowering by a few weeks so for me they bloom late spring. Know that with all clematis the “blue” is always purple-blue or lavender-blue.

From https://www.thorncroftclematis.co.uk/quick-selection-lists/shadetolerant.html?p=1

Prince Charles In my garden hasn’t exceeded 8’, relatively short time of bloom but prolific bloom that covers the plant, great light blue color, 3

Little Bas A favorite that has a lot of blooms spread over a few weeks, lanky so great rambling in shrubs, mid-blue with touches of white, 3

Guernsey Cream one of the few in my garden in a lot of shade, so I know this one will bloom in shade from personal experience, I love the shape of the cream flowers, 2

John Huxtable Large white flowers that in my garden always get chewed by the Japanese beetles or rose chafers, so I f you have either not recommended. 3

H. F. Young large beautiful mid to light blue flowers that hold well in my garden, color changes with the light, 2

These next come from a range of sources.

Ville de Lyon this blooms in a fair amount of shade, but like most, the bloom is less full in my shady garden, great red and cerise color and beautiful form IMO, 3

Avant Garde Another Red, this has tiny blooms with pink pompon center that stay on the plant after the petals have dropped, 3

I really struggle choosing plants for the north side of the house mostly due to the big swing in sunlight throughout the growing season. From the link NHBabs provided, I grow Ivan Olsson in a fair amount of shade and although it's a lovely flower, it doesn't seem to bloom for very long. I think that even Clems designated as shade tolerant won't bloom as prolifically on the north side of the house but agree that your options are limited for a vine.

I don’t know how close Turner, ME, (just north of Lewiston) is to you, Deanna, but there is a nice little nursery, that sells herbs and clematis that might be worth a visit, https://www.hummingbirdfarm.net/ I know that she doesn’t keep regular hours that she is open because she mostly does mail order, but she is open by appointment that you can set up by email or calling. I bet Cindy would have suggestions for those more tolerant of shade in her experience, and she has a nice selection of really hardy plants. One other place I buy from often is Brushwood Nursery in GA.

Thank you for this information, NHBabs! I know you would be helpful. Will check those clematis and suppliers out. Yes, Sue, outside of English ivy (NOT an option) it seems my choices are limited. A living wall of impatiens would be nice, but not exactly low maintenance when compared to a perennial vine.

I’ve got a Clematis montana on a trellis on the NE corner of our house, so it gets sun all morning (and a little in late afternoon during high summer.) It blooms prolifically in spring. I’ve had it a couple years and it’s clambering up the trellis pretty rapidly. We’re a little warmer down here by Boston, but it might be one to consider.

My biggest issue with montana is that since it is a really early bloomer it sets buds the previous fall and so the winter dead vines are not cut back. I have a bunch of type 1 (no prune) plants, but not right next to a main entry door since I don’t much like seeing the dead vines all winter. They are more likely to be places I don’t go often in winter, like a patio.

I can’t grow them as I am just a bit too cold, but they are beautiful.