South Carolina ETV

Making It Grow! News Articles

April 24, 2005

Back to News Articles Home

It seems like every spring, we hear the same exclamations of delight over and over again. "I think the flowers are prettier this year than they've been in years," is repeated in gardens all over the Palmetto State. Spring is like a tonic to the human spirit; one that wipes away cares and worries and leaves us refreshed and thankful for the gifts of the natural world.

Rowland: There is a funny old saying about vines that has a lot of truth to it. First they sleep, then they creep, and finally they leap. It does seem that the first year vines are planted, they seem to sit and examine their new situation to see if it suits them or not. In the second year, they stretch and expore slightly and then in the third year they take a flying leap and start to scramble and climb over everything.

Amanda: Vines seem a little out of fashion, Rowland, but they are really perfect for smaller yards and patios since they take up vertical space and leave lots of space around them for other plants.
We were up at the Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, and the courtyards there had simple iron trellises that were covered with yellow jessamine. Those vines really softened the brick walls and gave a feeling of warmth to the outdoor areas. And unlike English ivy, yellow jessamine doesn't have aerial roots that grow into the brick and weaken it.

Rowland: Our state flower, yellow jessamine, has so many good qualities that it deserves to be planted more and not just regarded as a wild flower. It is evergreen, the stems are a dark ebony color that adds to its appeal, and when it's in bloom, it is dynamite. Add to that one of my favorite characteristics, no pest problems. We do need to remind folks that it is poisonous, so it is not a plant to use where lots of young children congregate since they sometimes get it mixed up with Japanese honeysuckle.

Amanda: Another favorite vine that doesn't get much attention is crossvine, Bignonia capreolata. It is in flower right now all across the state in woodlands, and is beginning to show up in more gardens. The color is a little hard to call—I guess pomegrante or a rosey tangerine best describes it. One nice feature is that it's trumpet shape attracts humming birds and it provides lots of nectar right now when they are working on raising a family. Bignonia has weak aerial roots so I grow it on a piece of chicken wire that I attach to my wall. It covers from the bottom up, you can't see a bit of that wire after about two years. And this vine, just like yellow jessamine, is evergreen so you get coverage from it all year long. Mary Reid Pittman in Fort Motte, planted these vines to soften the concrete building where her family graded eggs many years ago. It turned a harsh structure into a romantic feature that looks like an antebellum out building.

Rowland: You know I always say, "Never say never to a South Carolina gardener," and some gardeners even find a use for that invasive Japanese honeysuckle. We know that it has use in woodlands as deer food, but in a restricted area it can be a great ground cover. Mrs.
Roderick Watson in Ridge Springs had a Williamsburg style garden with honeysuckle in the formal squares between the brick walkways. She simple mowed around it and kept it in bounds where it didn't have a choice but to behave and act nice. We really need to think about keeping some of those more aggressive growers in containers or restricted areas. But don't think you can keep kudzu under control!

Amanda: Rowland, I've got a word of caution about any vines. This morning I noticed that a tendril of native honeysuckle had found its way between the sash of my bedroom window and was reaching out into the room for something to twine around. Almost all vines profit from an occasional pruning to keep them in bounds. Southern Gothic is fun in books but not in real life!