My '07 Experiment: Climbing vines on fishing lines

16 years ago

My husband and I have a tiny stone house on one acre of land we bought about five years ago. Being a tranplanted Californian I've had to learn what works in zone 6 and having a weakness fo anything tropical (cannas, caladium, elephant ears, etc.) I do lots of planting of tubers in the spring and digging up of stuff in the fall (most gardeners around here prefer the "low maintenance" approach and don't bother w/anything that requires work or creativity!) but I wanted to try something new (to me) and crazy this year so I researched what vines could grow up the sides of our little two story house with the help/guidance of fishing line I had my husband string up. The good news is everything I planted worked: hops, spanish flag, morning glories, hyacinth bean and scarlet runner bean although the latter didn't reach their full potential due to a disgusting and large invasion of Japanese beetles. (Does anyone know what can be done to eradicate these things?) A'way, the Spanish Flag and Hops did best by far. I have included some photos of the various "vine lines" on the Garden Galleries section and hope to get some up on my page as well -something I haven't done since joining this site in '02. Stay tuned! Also, any suggetions for other type of vines that would do well as climbers here in zone 6 would be most appreciated.

Comments (8)

deweymn
16 years ago
What type fishing line did you use?
dorisl
16 years ago
I planted 4 oclocks this year and learned that those JB's love to eat them, but its poison to them.

hee
Related Professionals
Horsham Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Jennings Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · New Mexico Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Sand Springs Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · El Segundo Landscape Contractors · Hampton Bays Landscape Contractors · Hayward Landscape Contractors · La Mirada Landscape Contractors · Mission Landscape Contractors · San Benito Landscape Contractors · Knoxville Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Midwest City Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Randolph Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Independence Siding & Exteriors · Orange County Siding & Exteriors
flabbycat
16 years ago
Love-in-a-puff or balloon vine is an easy vine to grow. It's listed as a noxious weed in Texas and a couple other southern states. I have to replant it every year so it's not a problem where I live.

Columbus Ohio USA
gottagarden
16 years ago
can you put a link to your photos?
ultragirl6
Original Author
16 years ago
I've answered the above questions offline but I forgot to post here. And I've added some additional photos in the "Garden Photo Galleries" under Proud Projects and Landscape Design.

For the record: We used Omniflex - monofilament fishing line, 20-lb. test (018. diameter).

The collage of photos shows one of my 2007 Gardening Projects: Growing fllowering vines along fishing lines up the sides of our little stone house. It worked! My favorite of the vines (and the thickest) are the hops. I also have purple hyacinth bean, Exotic Love (Spanish Flag), morning glories, moonflower and scarlet runner beans. Last year I just did luffuhs on the south side of the house. The lines, four of them, stayed up thru our stormy zone 6 winters but we added 12 more, this spring and I am going to have my husband add even more for 2008, maybe another 12. I will try bottleneck gourds and do more hops since they came in so nice and thick and the first of everything. Any suggestions for vine options would be appreciated. I like thickness and of course color (BIG flowers) and contrast.

Here is a link that might be useful: vines on fishing lines
deweymn
16 years ago
Reason I asked about the line is I was wondering if you have tried fly fishing line. Next time at a bait store or store with sporting goods dept, check out what is available and how it would work. From your previous post I wondered about how long mono line would last because it becomes brittle over time and the sun weakens it. Then there are the braided black non mono fishing lines that normally are 20-40lb strengths.
eclpsprinc
16 years ago
This is great! Can I ask how your husband attached them?
greengardener07
16 years ago
Ultragirl,

Check the local "big box" home improvement stores come April and early May. Get a few of those Bag-A-Bug traps. I use them and they work very well. So much, I can put it up and in two weeks, I have to replace the bag!

Read the instructions on where to put them, I put them "downwind" (other side of the yard) of what they were eating. Don't let them sit in there too long, because when they die and the heat hit them, boy do they stink!