Honeysuckle, The Sweetest Climber Imaginable

Some of my fondest summer childhood memories include running and playing in the woods and fields near our home, traipsing along trails and blazing a few of my own with my trusty dog. Of all sense memories, smells can be the longest lasting, and the odiferous sweetness of a southern Tennessee wood and pasture is unforgettable. One of my favorite smells, bar none, has to be the deliciously sweet smell of a wild honeysuckle in full bloom. Smelling that honey to this day, brings back memories of lollygagging through summer afternoons, picking at honeysuckle vines, plucking the fronds from their blooms, and relishing the tastes from the honeyed tube within those blooms. As a homeowner, I am excited to tell you how easy it is to replicate these summer memories by planting and growing honeysuckle vines in your own yard or garden!

There are many varieties of honeysuckle available, with blooms of different colors, but all exude the sweet scent of honey, a fantastic natural air freshener for your garden bower or home entryway. One of the most appealing aspects of the honeysuckle, especially for novice gardeners, is its adaptability and heartiness. While honeysuckle vines prefer well draining soil that is rich in nutrients and possessing a pH between 6 and 7, they are truly adaptable to many environments, including those with full sun exposure and semi-shade. I have found that the southern exposure enjoyed by the front steps and railing of my house have provided my honeysuckle vine an excellent opportunity for growth. A vigorous climber, my vine has been easy to train and continues to wrap its tendrils around and around the railing, even extending up the fascia of the house as well. Tartarian Honeysuckle is the variety I chose for the front of my house, in yellow, and its blooms erupt in late spring and early summer, providing gorgeous colors and wonderful smells all summer and into late fall. The best way to pick and decide on the exact right variety for your taste and geographical location is by making a trip to your local garden supplier. Their expertise will be much appreciated in finding the start that will adjust and prosper best in your yard. Planting a honeysuckle is fairly simple, just remember if there is not room for it to expand, it will make its way, often “bullying” and growing around and through neighboring plants. Watering your honeysuckle daily from your garden hose reel will assure rapid growth and that its roots take hold. Taming and pruning may become necessary, but the beauty and smells provided by your burgeoning honeysuckle vine is well worth any of your efforts!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reel and landscaping.

Prune Your Vines to Stimulate Growth

While climbing vines do their part to add layers and depth to the landscape of your yard and garden, they do demand attention at certain times of the year, to keep them growing healthily and vigorously. Whether your vines are climbing an old fence, the handrails of your front porch, or an erected trellis in a beautiful garden bower, certain sections of these vines must be snipped and pruned in order for the healthy areas to continue with their growth, beautifying your garden space.

Make sure you have the proper tools on hand before you begin pruning your climbers. Pruning clippers/shears must be extra sharp in order to do their job. Dull shears can actually damage your vines by leaving jagged cuts or splintering branches instead of providing the cleanest of cuts. Dully cut branches are not only less attractive, while these cuts are healing, they are easy prey for insect infestation or disease. Late winter, after the last snow and frost, is the best time to prune many of your hardiest vines such as various types of clematis, grapes, wisteria, and roses. If you are planning on tackling your roses, of course a pair of thick gloves should be on your shopping list as well.

With all climbers, you need to prune and cut back the dead or dying areas in order to keep new growth growing. If this is your first attempt at pruning, you should not be afraid. Hardy climbers such as your grapes can take beginners’ mistakes and still rebound, forming new growth come spring. You will get your exercise pruning your grapes back as experts suggest that nearly 90% of the plant should be cut away in late winter to stimulate the new growth of the upcoming season, so pace yourself! Make deliberate cuts with each attempt, taking care to leave the healthiest buds alone, cutting right above them on your wisteria or clematis. Thinning these plants of the dead branches and ratty stragglers can help them retain their shape while also increasing your chances for more blooms in the spring, so be diligent. As always, if any branches or buds appear infected with a pest or disease, cut them back immediately in hopes of stopping the unsightly infections from spreading throughout the plant. When pruning, you can think of yourself as doctor and stylist in one, making sure your plants remain healthy while shaping and training them as you desire.

Most vines and hardy climbers require a pruning session only once a year in order to maintain their growth throughout the seasons. As always, it is extremely helpful to mulch and fertilize your valued plants, especially after pruning in order to quickly supply the new growth with the necessary nutrients. An attentive showering of water from your garden hose reel after mulching provides the required water, motivating growth in burgeoning sections. With this once a year attention, you can make sure your vines grow their best and beautify your lawn and garden year round.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reel, landscaping, and much more.