Virginia Creeper indeed must be the most spectacular vine for fall colour. Beautiful green foliage that is lush but subtle all season, burst forth in an Autumn display that is truly spectacular. It is a fast growing deciduous vine for full to partial sun that can cover an old shed or unsightly fence in a couple of seasons.

Our first Virginia Creeper at our old house on Country Aire Drive attracted a lot of attention as it scrambled over our small greenhouse with its gorgeous green leaves but not a hint of a bloom. While all the clematis' had taken the first dance, our Virginia Creeper subtly waited, letting the clematis and the wisterias have the lime light, quietly bowing out. Finally in the late summer she showed a little ankle in the form of tiny white flowers. Many a neighbour would, in kindness, ask what we had there and "Oh yes, then what will it do?

Long racemes of pink, white or most frequently purple flowers drip from the gnarly, twisted vines of Wisteria in mid May. The perfect mixture of masculine and feminine. The fragrance is delicious and hangs in the air like the flowers themselves, sweet and heady. Soft new tendrils curl all around the edges of the main vines. The overall effect of old growth, new growth, flowers and fragrance is quite simply perfect!

The ideal situation for a wisteria is either grown against a solid wall against which it can be espaliered by training it onto wires, or more easily, trained to wrap itself up a sturdy pillar. The pillar should be at least 4" X4" or larger. Wisteria is far too strong to be grown on lattice and you should keep it clear of vinyl or cedar siding as it can cause damage to these.

Any sunny location with at least 6 hours of direct sunshine and well drained soil will do. Add the usual bone meal, peat moss and manure followed by plenty of water in the first year. Plant grafted plants as these bloom at an earlier age.

In the summer we trim all the tendrils from our vines and sprinkle a handful of rock phosphate around the base to ensure plenty of blooms the following Spring.