Are you looking to hide an ugly site? Maybe your neighbors hoard junked cars, don’t maintain their yard or haven’t taken down last year’s election signs. Perhaps you would rather look at something a little more beautiful, and soon. Fortunately, there are a number of inexpensive, easy-to-grow annual vines that need little more than six hours of sun, regular water and something to climb on. Seed packets for these climbers are generally available from local garden centers, or they can easily be found online..
Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus)
Beautiful clusters of purple-pink flowers will bloom all summer, but they are not the only colorful part of this vigorous 10- to 20-foot climber. The stems and seed pods are a striking dark purple, and the beans themselves are a handsome black and white. However, if you are looking for something good to eat, there are much better choices. This bean should only be considered ornamental.
Spanish Flag (Ipomoea lobata)
If you know anything about vexillology — the study of flags — you can see where this vine gets its common name. Or maybe you would rather use its other name, firecracker vine. Either way, its 10-foot-plus stems are covered late in the season with beautiful tubular flowers of yellow, orange and red, attracting hummingbirds.
“Heavenly Blue” Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
There are many colors of morning glory available, but if you are looking for that deep sky-blue color , then the 10-foot-tall “Heavenly Blue” will work for you. However, if you leave for work early in the morning, you may need to wait for your day off to appreciate the show. As their name might imply, morning glories only open early in the day.
Malabar Spinach (Basella alba)
Traditional spinach hates hot weather, but Malabar spinach thrives in it — the hotter the better. The leaves can be used fresh in salads or can be cooked in stews or stir-fries. However, they are mucilaginous, like okra. It grows 6 to 10 feet or more. Late in the season, it has delicate pale, pink flowers, complementing the red stems, followed by dark, red-black fruit.
Ornamental Gourds (Cucurbita pepo)
There are many varieties of gourd in different sizes to choose from. Some are very practical and can be made into utilitarian objects, such as birdhouses. Others are strictly pretty to look at and can be grown to decorate your fall home or table. Early in the season, their large leaves and yellow flowers are ornamental in their own right.
Scarlet Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus)
Although it is sold as an annual, this vine can be perennial, dying to the ground at the first freeze and returning in late spring if the winter has been mild enough. Showy, bright scarlet orange flowers bloom when the worst of the summer heat is over, and they can be eaten fresh in salads. Though the young pods can be eaten like string beans, they must be cooked first and should not be eaten raw.
Have a plant question? Reach us at askaplantquestion@nbgs.org
Les Parks is the director of horticulture at Norfolk Botanical Garden.
