So I just came back from Home Depot - all excited about the yellow Mandevilla I saw (which I thought was the same as a Brugmansia btw). Anyway, I excercised GREAT self control by not taking one home with me. I decided I needed to find out more about it before buying - so I googled away, and found out that it's not hardy in my zone (6) Why do they DO that to me?!

Okay, I know why, but it's just so wrong!

What a gorgeous vine it was - I so wanted it - thought it would look great over an arbor, but since it wouldn't survive winter, would it ever completely cover an arbor? I dunno, I have this picture in my mind of a trailing vine completely taking over one - may be they don't exist but in the deep southern zones. <sigh> I got scared away from the wysteria idea. Is there any hope for me?

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Exactly! It's so evil of them! Grrrrrrr I just don't have enough house to bring all this stuff into. I guess I can do honeysuckle eh? That'll do here. It's just not quite as pretty I think I'll do some research for vines that do well here. I'm kind of in the 6/7 area too - technically in 6, but pretty close to 7, so i guess I could push it to 7 I'll let you know what I find!

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Mary,

If you want a vine that is hardy in IL even in my zone 5, you should consider the native trumpet vine. My garden club just had a garden walk, and someone had a out of control trumpet vine that I believe matches the picture in your head. I thought I had more pictures, but I don't.


Trumpet Vine

P.S. I used your thumbnail tip. How'd I do?

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Composting is more than good for your garden. It's a way of life.

Mary,

It's called "Trumpet Vine". Just do a google search on it, and you'll get lot's of hits. Here is one of them:

EmilyCompost: Trumpet Vine

I know I've seen it for sale at a neighborhood garden center. I don't know if HD carries it, but they may.

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Composting is more than good for your garden. It's a way of life.

I still like the mandevilla flowers better. I like the trumpet vine, and considered getting it before.. but I still love the flowers on the mandevilla. Hmm.. "you can't always get what you waaaaant.."

Meg

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I reject your reality, and substitue my own!
My favorite digital camera photos that I took.
My family, garden, and a bunch of misc. photos!

If you know someone that has trumpet vine, I'm sure they would be happy to whack off a piece for you. Just throw it down on the ground where you want it to grow and in 2-3 years it will be coming up everywhere. I have some on my property and I fight it ALL the time. It comes up 20-50 feet from where it is growing on a fence. Don't plant it near a tree it will overcome it and kill it out, if you don't keep it in check. I'd say it is borderline invasive in KS. Anyone else battle trumpet vine like I do?
How bout clematis? Sweet Autumn or one of the Montana kind? It would take a season or two to establish, but it is a beautiful vine. Just my .02.

I have to admit, I love the yellow trumpets - but I surprised myself when I was favoring the peachy glads over any others - so I'm thinking the orange won't be 'so bad' after all I do believe there is there a yellow trumpet vine though...so there is the option...I think?

Sure wish I knew someone with one of these - but I don't. I'll have to hunt it down - I did see some on ebay that I thought about getting!

Karrie - I kind of want something invasive - to an extent. I want to put *something* across my front yard - along the sidewalk - to keeep the blasted dogs out during spring/summer. Figure I could do pretty cheapy with some posts and wire fencing with a vine trailing over it. We actually have a fence over on the side of the house that's that square rabbit pen type stuff - and it looks great because it's covered with MGs and wild grapes!

I do think that if you do yellow & orange ones, the color would eventually turn to one or the other, especially if planted together...'course I could be totally wrong about that - happens every now and then

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Thanks, Mike! I'd say you are a *bit* further north than me Are people able to grow it over a trellis or arbor? That's really what I'm aiming to do - though I could settle for having it as a 'patio plant' (as HD so cunningly describes it) but right now I'm going for foundation plantings - and I'd like a great big huge vine type dealio to cover my (yet to be built) front fence, with an arbor or trellis to the front door...fancy shmancy huh? I'm probably a little OD on the planning - but hey, shoot for the moon and you'll reach the stars - or something like that

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Okay, but I have a question - I just went searching for seeds, and someone included the info in their listing that trumpet vines won't flower for 5-7 years from seed - I know we went through this with wisteria - true for trumpet vines too?

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Mary, do you want something with flowers? Our arbor is covered with grape vine and I love it. The vine can grow up to 2 feet a day! It doesn't ever take long for the entire arbor to get covered. Right now, the vines are all over my flower bed (because I haven't had time to cut them back) and actually growing across the roof of our kitchen!! I will try to get a picture for you.

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