I need a recommendation for a wonderful vine!

I am very new to Dave's Gardens community and thrilled to have access to such knowledge and experience. I'm a gardener of many years in Richmond, VA and on the Northern Neck of Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay. My challenge is in Richmond, and I have attached a photo of the spot in question. I have an east-facing front porch (zone 7) with a quarry tile floor. I have positioned two terra cotta pots on the porch and have installed lattice above each, in anticipation of planting some wonderful perennial vine, which I expect to add great visual interest to the front of my 1930's English "cottagey" house. I don't want to do English ivy here, though that could probably work.

Can anyone recommend something for this spot? It gets rather hot in the afternoon. I've attached a couple of photos of the front of the house. On the right, there's a New Dawn rose, which I intend to try to train up wires so that it spills over the top of the front-projecting gable, so the vine can't be too "prissy". We'll see....fingers crossed on that one!

Hi Lynn,
Lovely house- seems like a type of Clematis would look spectacular there, I think they do well in that zone. There are almost too many types to choose from though! http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/search.php?q=clematis&Search=Search+PlantFiles

Re the Rose, I found decorative chains very useful for training vines in areas like that.

Rj

Thanks so much, RJ....will check the link!

Try an evergreen honeysuckle. H. Japonica blooms most of the summer and smells great.Nice thick foliage and tube shaped flowers that change from a pale greenish to gold as the flower ages. Can be trimmed too if needed. :-)

Thanks so much! Will take a look! I am also trying to identify a wonderful vine I saw on a pergola in Richmond VA (my hometown): the somewhat oval leaves are in groups of 5, and the bloom is clusters of tiny round blooms in an unsalted butter yellow. I thought it was Lady Banksia from a distance, but the blooms aren't roselike.

I'll check out the honeysuckle!

Eclipse, I'm not sure what particular honeysuckle cultivar you reference. Can you be more specific or provide a source of the particular plant you have in mind? Sounds wonderful, but I found a number of plants by typing in "honeysuckle H. Japonica", and I want to be sure to look at what you suggested! Many thanks for all-

Look under Lonicera japonica....some states list it as an invasive plant. But kept in bounds makes a wonderful plant. In the far south it may grow wild in places.
A google image search under Japanese Honeysuckle will give plenty of pics.

Kyle :-)

Thanks, and will do!

Please also consider Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), it is a native and non invasive species. It grows well in pots and the best part is that you will have hummingbirds to watch feeding as you sit on your front porch.
:~)

I have H. japonica and it's horribly invasive. I've tried everything to eradicate it. It was planted by the previous homeowner...

I agree, H japonica is horribly invasive!!

OK here is the best vine I have ever seen , Its called hyacinth bean runner or dolichos. It is believed that Thomas Jefferson brought these beans to america, They are growning on his farm in Monticello. They are so beautiful and extremely hardy. they have purple vines, purple veined leaves, purlpe flowers that hummingbirds love and purple bean pods that , you can harvest the seeds for the next year. They grow about 10 to 15 feet and have the lovelest flowers. This has become my favorite plant i grow it somewhere every single year. It likes sun. you can buy them form Monticello on line or many other on line sources.

Look into Carolina Jessamine. It has nice yellow flowers that hummingbirds like, it's a native species and looks great in any Southern garden.

This clematis is multiblue.
I have it growing in mostly shade where I help it scramble up a tree.
But it is more purple than blue.
I wonder if soil type or fertilizer changes the color.
Riley

Don't have any recommendations but just wanted to say I love your house!