Do you want an evergreen vine, a deciduous vine or an annual vine? We can make better recommendations if we know more about what you want.

It's me again. I fought for years to kill all the vines which grew in my chain link fence. I would suggest that you go for an annual vine or at least a herbaceious vine which will die back each winter and come back from the roots each year. One other suggestion is to plant grapes. Keep them pruned, ala Napa Valley grape farms, and they should be pretty. One other suggestion would be to espalier (spelling) dwarf fruit trees along the fences. Flowers and fruit, you can't go wrong.

I'd go with an evergreen vine such as Carolina jasmine, Gelsemium sempervirens.

Here is a link that might be useful: Carolina jasmine

If you have children very young around dont plant carolina jasmine because it is poisonous, some children think the flowers are honeysuckle and will try eating them, but they are so pretty when in bloom.
Jill

I have Carolina Jasmine on my fence and it blooms in Feb, March and April with small yellow flowers and it is an evergreen.

Dina

Thanks everyone...

I do not have small children so I really don't have to worry about anything that is poisonous... or at least I hope I don't!

Now I'm leaning towards the Carolina Jasmine because it is readily available.

TSmith... have you tell me any names of herbaceious vine that you would recommend?

Thanks Again.

For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the vine my neighbor of many years ago had. It made bulbs or tubers. The leaves were medium sized oval hearts, variegated like porcelain vine, very waxy and succulent. It covered her gate by the garage every year but died back in the spring. You may consider akebia which is somewhat evergreen but doesn't get too aggressive. Also, go to www.plantdelights.com and search for vines. I don't remeber the name but they have the red vine that you often see on mailboxes. I just want to warn everyone about planting fast growing woody stemmed vines on chain link fences. These will intertwine in the links, grow thick and takeover your fence. Then they are the devil to remove because you have to cut between every square on the fence to prune or remove them. It maybe I'm just vine-ophobic. If I think of the name, I'll let you know.

Dropmore Scarlet?

I think you should put up Hog Wire instead of chain link...Chainlink is more expensive..

English Ivy is an evergreen. and fast growing..and can grow in any sun exposire..It will cover the fence. You may find that you need to trim it now and then to keep it from invading places where you do not want it...

I found this Nursery that has ROCK BOTTOM PRICES..

Just type www.autumnridgenursery.com and search the ground cover section.

English Ivy is $65.00 for 100 plants.

I saw where someone suggested grapes. Can you grow grapes in Alabama or do they succumb to mildew? Since I'm just moving to the area I have lots to learn.

Terry

I suggest Confederate Jasmine. It's evergreen and has a wonderful fragrance and small white flowers.

HOGWIRE!!!!! Anyway, the fence is already up, Scandia. And she already thinks that the chain link is ugly! LOL!
And believe it or not, because English Ivy has become such an invasive weed in the wild, after escaping from cultivation, it is probably a good idea to stay away from using that unless it is planted where it can be kept clipped and managed. Confederate jasmine can develop very large, agressive stems and could be a real pain to manage.

tsmith has a very good point about some of these woody vines becoming a nuisance over time. That may or may not be an issue for you. Are you thinking of Lonicera sempervirens, by chance, as your mailbox plant? It can develop a very large woody stem! And perhaps the vine with the tubers was Dioscorea, sometimes called air potato or potato vine? I'm just guessing...

I'd be tempted to go with the Carolina Jessamine (jessamine not jasmine). It would be easier to maintain, and even responds nicely to being cut all the way to the ground once in a while.

What about morning glories? They are so easy to just grow from seed.

My dad has confederate jasmine lining his deck - covering the railings. It's great wonderfully fragrant in May but has to be cut back at least once every 2 weeks. It grows like a weed and once you have it developed as desired, then the problem of controlling it begins. When you trim it back, if the juice from the plant gets on your clothes, it stains them indefinitely. Now, i have no experience with carolina jasmine.

Lonicera sempervirens works in zone 8 and is a great choice as it blooms more than once per year. Alabama scarlet is a good choice and available from some nurseries.

Okay - if anyone has any confederate jasmine they want to get rid of - please send to me! :) I haven't been successful at rooting it yet!

My vote would be for the Confederate Jasmine. It grows pretty fast, and smells great. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and lizards love it. Plus, at a certain time of the year, the vine will actually start to grow little roots all along the vine, so it should root very easy... Plus, it's easy to grow, just plant it and forget about it.

-Zel

One more question...
Does anyone know the best place to purchase Confederate or Carolina Jasmine in the Mobile area?

Also... NO HOG WIRE!
This is a chain link fence, already there.
I can not see it from my house but along the highway it shows, as we turn into the driveway.
I'm wanting to cover what I have, not start a farm! =)

I love English Ivy but I'm terrified to plant it in the ground... That is a big NO NO.

As far as grapes... I have no idea if they will grow or what kind may grow.

Thanks for all the suggestions... well, except the hog wire suggestion. ;)

I'm in Mobile/Baldwin county, and I got mine at the Saraland Wal-Mart. The Lowes and Home Depot will usually have it too. If you don't have any luck whith finding any, let me know. I'll keep an eye out for some for ya. Or I'll try to get some started from mine.

I noticed that no one suggested planting Lady Banks roses on your fence Sherry. They come in white and yellow and are evergreen and thornless. I have both, and they are great climbers, and so lovely when they bloom each spring. They would be beautiful on your fence.
Jan

Well I'm from Jasper(Goober Town), Alabama Has anyone mentioned Kudzu? We have it here thanks to Auburn University and the Japanese. Do a Google search for wonderful details about this incredible vine that you can actually watch grow. In late summer it produces a beautiful lavender to purple bloom that fills the air with the fragrance of concord grape jelly. I swear you can almost taste it. Gaahlay! Shazam! There is nothing quite like it. I'm done.

KUDZU????? Hope that is a joke! Talk about invasive!!!!!

Amy

Have you considered the native Wisteria (W.frutescens)? It is not nearly as aggressive as the Asian types we so often see. Magnolia Landscape supply in Summerdale is a good nursery, they should have the Carolina Jessamine.

Sherry, I noticed the zip in your s/n, are you a fellow Atmore resident?

Chelsea, most of the time when people refer to growing grapes in the south they really mean Muscadines.

Chad

passion vine is a very good climber, very fast grown and has amazing, almost bizzare looking flowers that smell kind of like bubble gum!

What about Luffa? I am growing some now and am going to use the luffa for sponges ( I myself am not going to eat them but you can I guess. I can't say what it taste like because I myself have never had them.)

I can't say how invasive they are but I am pretty sure I read some where on here that they grow well here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Y-2K hippie

I do not recomend Hall's Honeysuckle, it is a noxious weed in Alabama. I would try any kind of Clamatis, Morning Glory, or Moon Flower. Scarlet runner bean might be a good choice, though I can't remember where I read about that one.

I don't think I'd use morning glories on a chain link. Though they grow quickly & are pretty, they have a tendency to be rather messy when they dye back in the winter. That would mean lots of work getting it all out of the chain link!

out

This post was edited by AndrewMonroe on Thu, Mar 28, 13 at 9:43