How to Grow Flowering Vines in Your Garden: 18 Ideas
Vines can have an impressive impact on any outdoor space, as these climbing plants provide a brilliant combination of height and vibrant color. If you’re keen to get flowers that grow on vines into your garden, then read through this range of exciting projects posted by our brilliant Hometalkers. They offer inspiration and tips on everything from fast growing flowering vines to choosing flowering vines that grow in the shade.
1. Use a Ladder as a Garden Trellis
In this project, Hometalker Mary outlines how Black-Eyed Susan is a great option if you’re seeking flowers that grow on vines. She chose to drape the plant across a green wooden ladder and used garden twine to train the plant to climb up. The finished result is undeniably impressive. The addition of some watering cans creates extra whimsy too. Get tutorial here
2. Make a Trellis with a Slinky
In this project, Mary highlights how you can easily use a slinky to create a trellis on poles or similar items in your garden. She added hers to a birdhouse pole and secured it in place using cable ties and a wood screw. Her Black-Eyed Susan vine then climbed up through the coils of the slinky and reached the top – and the birdhouse – in just four weeks. Get tutorial here
3. Plant a Vine to Attract Pollinators
This project might offer inspiration if you’re keen to bring pollinators into your outdoor space. This DIYer planted Passiflora Incarnata on her shed porch but did not realize it was the primary food source of the Gulf Fritillary butterfly. The larvae and caterpillars may have stripped the vine, but they then turned into beautiful butterflies. Get tutorial here
4. Go Higher with Star Jasmine
Star Jasmine is a great option for anyone seeking flowers that grow on vines. In this project, Hometalker Nell outlines how the variety offers fantastic versatility and can be used as ground covering, a border plant, or even on a trellis. This plant can reach significant heights, but keep in mind that it's a twining vine and must be trained. Get tutorial here
5. Prune Your Bougainvillea
While growing flowering vines can be quite straightforward, a bit of pruning can undoubtedly go a long way with some varieties. This Hometalker makes the most of her bougainvillea by pruning it mid-season in the summer, as doing so encourages another round of bloom and a second burst of vibrant color from this wonderful plant. Get tutorial here
6. Enjoy Perfect Pink Jasmine
Pink Jasmine is a great option if you're seeking fast growing flowering vines which will bring a new sense of style to your garden. This project highlights how the plant offers an incredible combination of color and sweet scents, with its clusters of starry white blooms often proving hugely popular with many avid gardeners. Get tutorial here
7. Use a Vine as a Houseplant
Vines work well in outdoor space, but did you know that some varieties can also be used as houseplants? This project reveals how the tropical plant Hoyas can work well in all environments, while it is also one of many flowering vines that grow in shade. Its glossy leaves and waxy flowers are truly striking and would make a great addition to any home. Get tutorial here
8. Add Climbing Plants to an Archway
An archway or trellis can really change the style of a garden, and this project offers up some tips on which climbing plants could perfectly complement the structures. Fast growing flowering vines like Morning Glory feature beautiful trumpet-shaped blooms, while long garlands of Wisteria produce great color and a stunning scent. Get tutorial here
9. Care for Bougainvillea in the Winter
Bougainvillea comes in many forms and can offer beautiful purple flowers that grow on vines but, if you want to get the best out of it in the summer, it's a good idea to do a little bit of work when it’s colder. This project highlights how the right level of watering and pruning can make a huge difference once the warmer months come back around. Get tutorial here
10. Prune at the Right Time
This is another project which highlights how pruning can make a difference as you grow flowering vines. Star Jasmine is a versatile plant but this Hometalker stresses that, whatever your use for it, pruning is always required. She suggests pruning just after flowering in the spring, as it helps to stimulate new growth and encourage flowering. Get tutorial here
11. Install the Perfect Trellis
A trellis can play a vital role as you look to grow flowering vines and this project highlights the sheer range of different styles that you could use in your garden. Arched trellises can bring height and scale to your space, while obelisks can be both decorative and functional. Furthermore, you can consider DIY options like a tepee or A-frame trellises. Get tutorial here
12. Consider Your Space
Fast growing flowering vines can bring a burst of life to a garden, but think carefully about how you want to position them. This project about Pink Jasmine places a spotlight on such issues, with Hometalker Nell outlining how the plant will attach to anything nearby. She adds that anyone planting more than one should space them out by ten feet, among her many useful tips. Get tutorial here
13. How to Train Your Hoya
This project offers plenty of inspiration if you want flowering vines that grow in shade at a height. This Hometalker moved her hoya into a bowl and then added bamboo hoops which she had tied together using fishing line. The finished result is undoubtedly very impressive, with the plant now growing up and along the bamboo in a very stylish manner. Get tutorial here
14. Use Velcro to Support a Vine
Clematis looks great when it is growing up a wall but, without support, it often just flops onto the ground and becomes an unattractive mess. This Hometalker tackled that issue by adding Velcro support loops to a trellis above the plant. The loops can then be used to hold the vines in place once they reach the desired height. Get tutorial here
15. Brighten Up Narrow Pathways
While you might have plans for flowering vines in your garden, have you considered how they could brighten up pathways outside your property? This project features plenty of inspiration on that front, including a Clematis growing on an arch above a back gate. It also showcases how climbing plants can bring character to narrow side entrances too. Get tutorial here
16. Preparation is Everything
Like many plants, vines need care and attention if they're going to thrive. This project reveals how to get Clematis off to a good start, with Hometalker Three Dogs in a Garden suggesting that it's soaked in a pail of water before planting. Add a layer of manure or compost to a planting hole, before filling it with soil and handfuls of bonemeal - then, you're ready to plant your Clematis. Get tutorial here
17. Try Honeysuckle for a Sweet Addition
Honeysuckle is a beautiful and fragrant plant, but it also has a reputation for being invasive in some situations. Considering this, Hometalker Douglas was pleasantly surprised when a friend introduced him to a non-invasive variety known as Lonicera x Heckrottii. The plant produces truly stunning flowers and a delightful scent too. Get tutorial here
18. Opt for the Understated Moonflower
If you want to grow flowering vines that produce a huge blossom, turn your attention to the Moonflower. As this project highlights, the plant produces impressive dark green leaves and stunning white flowers that look great next to any property. This Hometalker loves it so much she has planted it in the same place for several years. Get tutorial here
