Re: Plants for an arbor

Personally, I think you need to check the soil in that area before deciding what to plant.  I seen alot of stone- foundation cement in the small area.  The ph of that soil might not be good.
 
Another issue of that spot - in the heat of summer is that ground going to cook the roots with additional heat from the stones around?  Or freeze them out in the winter?
 
Have you considered a huge decorative pot in that corner with either annual vines or something a zone or 2 down that could surive the winter?  It would also cut down the time till the plant gets light.
 
Another thought- anything with berries might not be good as folks brush up to the plant entering/leaving the house or in time the door hitting it.  Also some flowers pollen easily comes off staining clothes as well as your wood deck.
 
Just my 2 cents worth... maybe just a penny......
 
Donna
Monee, IL

--- On Sun, 1/15/12, llmen@wi.rr.com <llmen@wi.rr.com> wrote:

From: llmen@wi.rr.com <llmen@wi.rr.com>
Subject: Plants for an arbor
To: perennials@hort.net
Cc: woodyplants@hort.net
Date: Sunday, January 15, 2012, 11:26 AM

Many thanks to all the suggestions to my arbor dilemma.

At least, I've been able to narrow down the possibilities:

Akebias:  I already have the species (purple flowering) and Shirobana (sp?), the white flowering cultivar (I hope, it hasn't flowered for me yet!  I considered the variegated cultivar, but those are usually slower growing and I'd like to have something to show while I'm still buying green bananas ;)  Akebia trifoliata is a possibility as it would have a somewhat different appearance, even out of flower.I've never actually seen an Akebia fruit, and I'm interested to see if the pulp/seeds are anything like my Blue Bean Shrub,Decasnea fargesii.  They are both in the same family, Lardizabalaceae.

Aristolochias:  Have been too invasive in my garden.

Right now, Ampelopsis brevipedunculata 'Elegans' has the "upper leaf', so to speak.  It is not invasive in our climate, although I do find a few volunteer seedlings (Wasn't there someone who was looking for one?).  Also I also already have a good sized plant along a fence on the south side of  my house that I could move this spring.  I wonder if the berries stain, as it will be travelling over my wooden deck?  Has anyone given any though to Schisandra chinensis?  I have one of those next to the Ampelopsis and contrary to published information, it seems perfectly self fertile and produces lots of attractive red berries in the fall (birds don't seem to like them, though. and they are quite tart.

There is also a self-fertile bittersweet (Celastris), but I'm afraid that might be too agressive, although I'll bet it would be very pretty in the fall.

Thanks again,

Don

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