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Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:10:47 -0500
To: perennials@hort.net
From: aete@northnet.org
Subject: Re: Ideas for an arbor

Don, one of my favorite vines:

Ampelopsis brevipedunculata var. maximowiczii 'Elegans', which I simply call my porcelain berry. 

I grow this on an arbor at the entrance of my front walk here in northern NY zone 4, though it is a zone 5--9 plant (I live right next to a river).  The leaves are gorgeous, variegated, deeply cut.  The small greenish-white flowers are attractive.  The berries are amazing but not as nice as they'd be with more sun than they get here.  Grows 10--20 feet, but only about 12' here.  Having said all that, I'm sure this vine would be even happier in your zone 5.  It gets started later than the kiwi vine across from it (which also gets some white and pink in its leaves.)

Replying to your 5 points:
1. I love the look of your non-'chateau'!  Might it be an old Queen Anne Victorian?

2 & 3. My arbor has the same aspect as yours, but it does not have a house right behind it.  I have the following quote copied to my porcelain berry culture sheet: "An attractive variegated form with white and pink splashes on the leaves, tends to not fruit as well as the type and is less vigorous."  So far the kiwi has reached up and across the top of the arbor while the porcelain berry is just beginning to reach over.  The kiwi takes constant pruning, the porcelain berry only needs directing.

4 & 5. I've never had Akebia so can't compare it to Ampelopsis. I have Campsis, Celastrus, various Clematis, Lonicera, Hydrangea petiolaris, Euonymous -- and the Ampelopsis is one of my favorites.  Hmm, maybe there's a Clematis viticella for your situation?  I have a C. Hagley Hybrid that faces north on the front of a pavilion and has done great for years, (unlike some of my clematis) however, it may not grow high enough for your situation -- 8-10'.
6. My "less vigorous" Ampelopsis etc. 'Elegans' can take far colder temps than what is listed.

Let us know what you finally choose!  Hope we see a finished-project photo.

Best,
Alyce Elliott
near Oxbow, northern NY



At 04:24 PM 1/10/2012, you wrote:

I came upon the following photo from a catalog:

http://www.tinyurl.com/7olll9t


This gave me an idea to create an arbor over my rear door and small deck (the black lines are for reference only):

http://www.tinyurl.com/6vw2kre

Issues (construction and materials aside):

1.  Obviously, I don't happen to own a chateau at the moment.

2.  The deck faces a direction which is approximately East-Northeast and only receives a bit of morning sun, although plants on the deck seem to do relatively well as it is a bright shade.

3.  The small patch of open ground (indicated on the second photo) gets no sun at all, and so whatever I plant won't get ANY direct sunlight until it gets above the level of the deck.

4.  I'm thinking some sort of perennial vine, probably woody, but not so rampant that it will require constant pruning (so, no Wisteria or Vitis).  I’d consider Akebia quinata , but I already have 2 of those (purple and white), and they do quite well along the north side of my house.

5.  I’d consider other species of Akebia if they would look a bit different (trifoliata?) or even the variegated A. quinata (does anyone know of a source of a nice clone of this)?

6.  I live in Milwaukee (Zone 5) and despite our very mild winter so far, we can normally expect temps down to –10F (-25C) or even lower.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.


Don Martinson
Wauwatosa, WI  53213
 
Supporting the Organization for Tropical Studies