Vines and Climbers

Vines and Climbers

Welcome to the Vines and Climbers Gallery.  My garden currently plays host to four climbing hydrangeas (Hydrangea petiolaris), two Goldflame honeysuckle vines (Lonicera x heckrotti ‘Goldflame’), one Clematis H.F. Young, and one Clematis Jackmanii.  Each of these vines is remarkably beautiful, and had originally been planted as either a dormant bareroot or a tiny, dormant 3″ potted baby.  But they’re all growing very quickly, and they’re swarming up their climbing structures in effective fashion. 

Did you know that climbing hydrangea, honeysuckle, and Clematis vines each use a separate and entirely different method for making their respective climbs?  Climbing hydrangeas use aerial roots, honeysuckle vines are twining main stem climbers, and Clematis vines are grasping leaf stem climbers.  Some of the photos in this gallery do a pretty good job of illustrating the differences between these vines and their specific climbs.  But if you’d like to dig deeper (or climb higher) and learn a bit more about these very different vines and their very different styles of ascent, I suggest having a read of my article, “How Do Climbing Vines Actually Climb?”  And if Clematis vines are your thing, and you want to really give your plants a leg up on tricky climbs, please check out my article, “How to Train Clematis Vines to Climb: An Easy Hack.”

I’ll be adding more photos right here to the Vines and Climbers Gallery on a continuing basis, so make sure to check back in for new shots.  In the meantime, please enjoy these pics.  Cheers, and Happy Gardening!   

Vines and Climbers
My Clematis H.F. Young on 10-22-23.
Vines and Climbers
My re-emerging Clematis 'H.F. Young' on 09-26-23 (left) and 09-27-23. Can you spot the signs of its progress?
Vines and Climbers
With clematis vines, it's all about the roots. I'd cut this H.F. Young down to the ground (just below grade, actually) immediately after its delicate main stems were severely damaged approximately 10 days before this photo was taken (on 09-24-23). Because any given clematis vine's root ball is so robust, the vine can be cut down to the ground in the event of damage or disease, and that massive network of roots and substantial crown structure will quickly generate new stems. This is a photo of one of those new stems.
Vines and Climbers
Goldflame honeysuckle flowering all over my arbor and trellis on September 17, 2023.
Vines and Climbers
Honeysuckle. 09-09-23.
Vines and Climbers
This image, and the next, are from mid-August.
Vines and Climbers
August 6, 2023.
Vines and Climbers
This image, and the following 7, are from the summer of 2023.
Vines and Climbers
This image, and the following three are from 06-12-23 - 06-26-23.
Vines and Climbers
This image, and the next two, are from 06-01-23 - 06-11-23.
Vines and Climbers
This image, and the next four: 05-22-23 - 05-31-23.
05-21-23.
Vines and Climbers
Goldflame honeysuckle. This image collage, and the next five, are from 05-12-23.
Vines and Climbers
My four climbing hydrangeas: slow-growing at first, but after about 3 or 4 years, they explode. All four of mine are still immature, but are already beginning to put on growth. They grow thick, dense, and up to 50' tall.
Vines and Climbers
This photo, and the next one, were taken on 04-30-23. Above is my Clematis H.F. Young (L), and my Clematis Jackmanii.
Vines and Climbers
Clematis H.F. Young, sprouting.
The very first flower buds ever on my climbing hydrangea vines. I'm pretty damned excited. Photographed 04-28-23.
Vines and Climbers
This image, and the next two, were captured on 04-23-23. They show my Clematis 'jackmanii,' Goldflame honeysuckle vines, and climbing hydrangea vines, respectively. All of these vines are coming on strong.
Vines and Climbers
My Clematis 'Jackmanii' on 04-16-23.
Vines and Climbers
Goldflame honeysuckle, starting to leaf out. 04-06-23. They bloom on old wood (previous year's growth), so no pruning! Got that?
Vines and Climbers
Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris) awakening late winter/early spring, 2023.
Vines and Climbers
Goldflame honeysuckle (Lonicera x heckrotti 'Goldflame') late winter/early spring, 2023.
Vines and Climbers
Clematis Jackmanii (left), and Clematis H.F. Young (pruned to the ground in late winter to combat stem rot) in late winter/early spring, 2023.
Vines and Climbers
Climbing hydrangea, summer, 2022.
Vines and Climbers
Goldflame honeysuckle, summer, 2022.
Vines and Climbers
Clematis H.F. Young (left) and Clematis Jackmanii, spring/summer 2022. Note that the H.F. Young's bloom has a bluish appearance, while the Jackmanii's blooms are a deeper purple.
Vines and Climbers
Climbing hydrangeas use aerial roots to fasten themselves to virtually any porous surface. Here, they're climbing the arbor/trellis structure I built especially for them and their neighbors, the Goldflame honeysuckle vines.
Vines and Climbers
Goldflame honeysuckle vines are twining main stem climbers. Here, they're weaving their main stems through the lattice material as they make their way up my arbor/trellis structure.
Vines and Climbers
Clematis vines are grasping leaf stem climbers. They are limited, by the length of their leaf stems, to utilizing climbing structures which are made up of comparatively small-diameter elements. Here, they're grabbing onto the slender, decorative elements of a metal garden arch that I installed in my garden especially for them.
Laying the groundwork for some successful H.F. Young and Jackmanii climbs in the spring of 2022. Gotta look out for my guys.

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