There’s nothing quite like the allure of a lush garden filled with vibrant flowering vines! As an avid gardener born and raised amidst Wisconsin’s diverse flora, I’ve always fonded vines that can transform barren structures and spaces into explosions of color and fragrance in record time.
In this post, I share the wisdom from years of getting my hands dirty in gardens across Wisconsin and beyond. You’ll find tips and tricks for choosing, planting, growing, and caring for the fastest-growing flowering vines that can bring your garden visions to life.
Understanding how vines grow, picking varieties suited to your climate, and providing the proper care will reward you with a breathtaking vertical garden in no time! So, let’s dive in and explore the wonderful world of fast-growing flower vines.
Contents
Understanding Vine Growth
Before choosing vines for your garden, it helps to understand how these trailing plants grow and the factors that affect their growth rate.
Vines can grow in many directions – upward, sideways, even downward! Most vines grow by twining their stems around any available support, using tiny tendrils or suction cups. Some vines produce adventitious roots to help cling to surfaces. This vining habit allows them to grow long distances, hunting for sunlight.
Types of Vines: Annuals vs. Perennials
- Annual vines complete their lifecycle in one season. They germinate, grow, bloom, set seed, and die within a single growing period. Annuals like morning glories and hyacinth bean vines deliver quick coverage that is perfect for temporary screens or garden accents.
- Perennial vines persist for many years, going dormant in winter and then re-emerging in spring to resume growth. Once established, perennial vines like wisteria and honeysuckle provide permanent structure and long-lasting color in the garden.
Factors Affecting Growth Rate
Multiple factors influence how fast vines grow:
- Light – Vines grow quicker and produce more flowers in bright, direct sunlight. The morning sun is ideal.
- Water – Consistent moisture is vital, but avoid overwatering, which can cause root rot. Deep, weekly soakings are better than frequent, shallow sprinkles.
- Nutrients – Fertile, humus-rich soil amended with compost provides vines with the essential nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to fuel fast growth.
- Temperature – Most vines thrive in warm 65-85°F weather. Protect vines from frost or extreme heat.
- Pruning – Regular pruning encourages healthy branching and flowering. Remove dead or damaged stems.
- Support – Sturdy structures allow vines to climb upwards and outwards efficiently.
- Soil – Vines grow best in loose, well-drained soil. Improve dense or compacted areas before planting.
- Pests & diseases – Prevent and control infestations and infections that can slow or stop vine growth.
Top Fastest Growing Flower Vines
Now that you know how vines grow, look at some of my favorite fast-growing flowering vines suitable for gardens in Wisconsin and beyond!
Morning Glories: Dawn’s Trumpeters
It’s hard to beat morning glories if you want gorgeous colors quickly. These annual vines come in various brilliant colors and promptly cover arbors, fences, or unsightly views.
By mid-summer, large trumpet-shaped blooms unfurl at dawn, lasting only a day before giving way to new flowers. Though individual blooms are fleeting, morning glories produce endless waves of color from summer through fall frosts. Give them full sun, regular water, and something to climb, and they’ll quickly grow 10 feet or more in a single season!
Paint the main shoot when vines are 1 foot tall to boost blooms and encourage branching. Remove spent flowers regularly and cut back whole vines periodically to stimulate new growth.
Sweet Peas: Nature’s Perfumery
Another favorite annual vine, sweet peas climb up to 6 feet in a season while delighting you with their incredibly fragrant blooms reminiscent of orange blossoms and honey.
Though individual flowers are delicate, sweet peas produce abundant blooms on rapidly growing vines from spring through summer. Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date for best performance. After hardening off, move seedlings to partly shaded outdoor beds enriched with compost. Give them support to climb and consistent water.
Prolong flowering by promptly deadheading spent blooms. Provide afternoon shade in hot climates. Sweet peas also make charming cut flowers and dry beautifully.
Clematis: The Queen of Climbers
Clematis vines are prized for their sheer elegance. They bear large, shapely flowers in shades of white, pink, purple, and red on vines that can quickly grow 20 feet in a season! With over 300 species and countless hybrids, there’s a clematis for every garden.
Different varieties bloom at other times, providing nonstop color from early spring through fall. ‘Jackmanii’ and ‘Niobe’ bloom prolifically on new growth and respond well to hard spring pruning. Late-bloomers like ‘Miss Bateman’ and ‘Comtesse de Bouchard’ flower on old wood, so only dead stems must be removed.
Provide clematis with cool roots and plenty of sun. They thrive with an annual topdressing of compost. Protect new growth from slugs and prune lightly after blooming to shape vines.
Virginia Creeper: A Native Marvel
If you’re looking for a fast-growing vine to provide vertical interest, it’s hard to top native Virginia creeper. Growing up to 10 feet in its first year from cuttings, this versatile vine turns a stunning scarlet in fall.
Virginia creeper happily grows in sun or shade and any soil, from sand to clay. Because it is an aggressive grower, please keep it in check by cutting it back annually and removing stems that are spreading where unwanted.
Let it scramble along the ground as a lush leafy groundcover or train vines up trellises, posts, trees, and walls – anything goes! Just plant it at least 12 inches from structures to avoid potential damage.
Chocolate Vine: A Sensory Delight
As a gardener, I always search for plants that engage the senses – those with intriguing textures, colors, and scents. Chocolate vine fits the bill perfectly, with its large heart-shaped leaves, furry stems, and clusters of unusual flowers that smell like chocolate!
This hardy vine grows up to 10 feet in its first year. Give it fertile, humus-rich soil and plenty of moisture. Provide sturdy support for the vigorous, twining stems. Left to wander, it sprawls into a lush, exotic-looking groundcover.
The curious purplish-brown flowers with a hint of white bloom from spring through fall. Pair chocolate vine with clematis and roses for a sensory extravaganza!
Planning Your Garden With Vines
Now that you’re inspired to try fast-growing vines, let’s explore how to integrate them into your garden.
Matching Vines to Your Site’s Growing Conditions
Take note of your site’s specific conditions – soil type, sun exposure, wind patterns. Then, select vines suited to your zone’s temperature range and rainfall or drought practices, ensuring healthy, vigorous vines.
For example, in Wisconsin’s varied microclimates, morning glories thrive in warm southern regions, while sweet peas prefer cooler northern zones. Adjust plant choices accordingly.
Combining Vines with Other Plants
blend vines artfully with other plants to create a cohesive look. Use sun-loving annual vines to add vertical color to flowerbeds. Let them scramble through shrubs or roses for a casual effect.
Or frame a focal point like an ornamental tree with a perennial vine, like clematis. TRAIN trains hydrangea vines up tree trunks to harmonize textures. The options are endless!
Design Ideas for Structures
Every garden needs vertical structures that vines can climb. Arbors, pergolas, trellises, and fences offer prime property for flowering vines. Consider these ideas:
- Adorn a garden entryway or divide spaces with a classic arbor covered in sweet peas or morning glories.
- Train a showy clematis on a focal point trellis in a perennial bed or border.
- Use fast-growing annual vines to temporarily cover a chain-link fence while slower perennial vines, like trumpet vine, are established.
- Let Virginia creeper scramble through shrubs and up the trunks of trees to add layers.
With some basic design principles and imagination, you can find the perfect place for vines to enhance your garden.
Planting and Caring for Your Vines
Proper planting and attentive care after planting are the keys to the success of flowering vines. Follow these tips, and you’ll be rewarded with vigorous, lush vines.
Prepare Soil Well Before Planting
Fast-growing vines thrive in loose, fertile soil. Turn over densely packed clay soils and mix in 2-3 inches of finished compost or well-rotted manure to improve texture and nutrients.
Add ground limestone if necessary to achieve a pH between 6.0 and 6.7 for acid-loving plants like clematis, sweet peas, and morning glories.
Give Vines Plenty of Space
Vines need adequate room to grow. Follow spacing guidelines, allowing vines to spread between plants at least 2-3 feet. Plant climbing vines 8-12 inches from walls or supports.
Dig holes for vines twice as wide as the root ball. If the vine is pot-bound, loosen the roots before planting. Backfill with compost-enriched soil.
Support Those Vines!
Install sturdy supports at planting time before vines start wandering. Use hardwood trellises, arbors, obelisks, fences, or strings. I like to grow morning glories up blown-up balloons!
Water New Plantings Frequently
Newly planted vines need frequent, thorough watering for the first two months. As the plants establish deep roots, the watering frequency gradually reduces.
Avoid wetting foliage, which can encourage diseases. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses are ideal for vine plantings.
Fight Pests and Disease Vigilantly
Check for common pests like aphids, spider mites, and Japanese beetles that can slow growth. At the first sign of infestation, spray with insecticidal soap to avoid significant damage.
Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that threatens many vines. When humidity levels rise, apply neem oil or sulfur spray preventively. Proper spacing improves airflow and reduces disease risk.
Guide and Prune Vines for Best Growth
Don’t neglect training vines up their support! Use Velcro plant or twist ties to gently guide wandering stems and tendrils. Prune back rampant vines as needed to keep growth in bounds.
Remove dead or damaged growth promptly to maintain vigor. Wait to prune spring-blooming vines until after flowering finishes.
Seasonal Care Tips
Caring for vines isn’t a one-time task. They require vigilance throughout the seasons to ensure strong growth and flower production.
Spring Prep
- Apply a fresh layer of compost or fertilizer around vines in early spring to provide nutrients for the growing season. Use an organic plant food or balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer.
- Check supports to ensure they are still sturdy after winter weather. Repair or add new supports as needed.
- Prune back fall-blooming vines to shape the plant and remove dead stems. This encourages the most flowers to grow new growth.
- Weed carefully around vines, taking care not to damage tender new roots. Add mulch to suppress weeds.
Summer Growth Boosters
- During hot, dry spells, provide vines with deep weekly soakings. Target the roots, not the leaves.
- To increase flowering, promptly deadhead spent blooms on annual vines. Cut back whole vines by 1/3 mid-summer to stimulate new growth.
- Fertilize vines monthly to maintain vigorous growth. Liquid plant foods work fast to deliver a quick boost.
- Guide wandering stems back onto supports. Trim rampant vines to keep growth tidy and encourage branching and blooms.
Fall and Winter Care
- Allow vines to finish blooming in fall before hard frost hits. Enjoy their late-season floral display!
- After frost blackens annual vines, cut them back to the ground and clear away debris to prevent disease.
- Apply winter mulch around perennial vine roots if you face icy winters. Wait until plants go dormant.
- Prune back excessive growth on Virginia creeper and other aggressive vines before their spring growth spurt.
Your vines will leap into vigorous growth and flower production each year with the proper seasonal care regimen!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
While growing vines can be addictive, it does take some gardening wisdom to avoid common pitfalls. Avoid these errors, and you’ll be a Vine Pro soon!
Overwatering or underfeeding: Monitor soil moisture and nutrients closely to maintain ideal growing conditions. Overwatering causes root rot while underfeeding stunts growth.
Neglecting pests/diseases – Don’t let seemingly small infestations get out of control. Treat issues as soon as possible before vines lose vigor.
Insufficient support: Vines need a structural framework for efficient, orderly growth, provided by trellises, strings, walls, or other climbing aids.
Crowding vines – Even fast-growing vines need adequate space and air circulation. Follow planting guidelines to prevent diseases.
Wrong site conditions – To avoid disappointing results from the start, pick the best vines for your unique growing needs.
Improper pruning: Know when and how to prune each vine species and time it right! Some vines bloom on old wood rather than new growth.
Letting vines go wild: Tame those energetic vines through training, trimming rampant growth, and regularly thinning stems to maximize flowering.
DIY Support Structures
The best part about growing vines is you get to flex your construction creativity when building support structures! Here are some tips for crafting functional and sturdy arbors, trellises, and other climbing aids your vines will adore.
Choose Durable Materials
Select weather-resistant materials that can handle the weight and pressure of mature vines:
- Cedar, redwood, or pressure-treated pine resist rotting and are traditional choices. Avoid treated lumber around edibles.
- Wrought iron, aluminum, and vinyl are long-lasting, maintenance-free options.
- 5-6 foot bamboo poles or PVC pipes work well for temporary supports.
Engineer Sturdy Designs
Aim for durable structures anchored well:
- Set vertical posts 2+ feet in the ground for stability. Brace corner posts diagonally.
- For arbors or pergolas, ensure horizontal beams are thick enough to bear vine weight over time without sagging.
- Use robust galvanized hardware and reinforced joints, allowing gentle swaying without collapse.
Add Decorative Touches
Let your creativity shine through!
- Incorporate functional decor like lattice panels, finials, chimes, or overhead pots.
- Use pleasing geometric shapes and visually balanced proportions for an architectural feel.
- Paint or stain supports in colors that complement your garden’s style.
With proper materials, engineering, and personal flair, you can create vine supports that make an artistic statement in your garden. Let me know if you need any specific building tips!
Conclusion
These tips have shown how easy and rewarding it can be to cultivate fast-growing flowering vines even in changeable Wisconsin climates. Prepare the soil, provide sturdy structures, and choose vines suited to your conditions.
Then enjoy watching your garden transform as vines leap skyward and cascade with flowers in their first season. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different annuals and perennials to discover your favorite vines.
I’d love to hear about your adventures with flowering vines! Send me photos and stories of your vine gardening successes in Wisconsin and beyond. Let’s keep growing together!
