WOW you every day is not an easy thing to do - most vines are going to have a period of maximum interest(e.g. flowering period) and then be 'less interesting'. How much patience do you have? One option that occurs to me is an 'Arctic Beauty' kiwi vine - it apparently takes 3 years to mature enough for the white and pink variegation to appear... If I had a location in sun that was appropriate for it, I'd try one of those. I'd probably combine it with clematis in a harmonious color to add some flowers to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Arctic Beauty' kiwi

Great! Taking a look at it now. Why did you suggest kiwi?

Just saw the link. Looks like this will really wow me! I like the variegated leaves. Even without flowers, it add lots of interest! I'll look for online sellers :)

I thought of kiwi because, once it gets to the age that it's variegated, it would have interest all the time even without flowers. I'd add clematis just for additional flower interest. I hawe a Henryi clematis that grows into the Chinese wisteria to flower after the wisteria finishes flowering. And I have added Henryi also to the iron arbour in the front garden to go with Emerald Gaiety euonymus that I planted there last year to replace the Hall's honeysuckle that got ripped out for the crime of being too vigorous!

I love my Etoile Violette but it's short. I was hoping it can reach at least 12 ft. How tall is Henryi?

Henryi is listed as 3-4 meters (~10-13') and has climbed to the top of the Chinese wisteria tree without any problem. Interestingly, the Chicago Botanical Garden didn't rate it very highly (only **) in their evaluation [http://www.chicagobotanic.org/downloads/planteval_notes/no10_clematis.pdf] but it has done well for me. The Clematis on the Web search page (see link below) is a good tool for looking up possibilities.

In this picture, I think you can see why I've planted a white clematis with the variegated euonymus - if they grow together as well as I hope, the white flowers should be very striking with the white variagation on the euonymus:
{{gwi:158181}}
(A red clematis - Niobe- that shared the arbor with the honeysuckle reapeared from some roots we missed when we dug everything out, so it will now be a red and white combination of flowers on the euonymus! Not what I planned but I think it will still work....)

Here you can see the Henryi flowering in the wisteria after the wisteria flowers had finished - unfortunately the rachis (central stem of the flower raceme) of the wisteria flowers did not have enough time to dry up and fall off before the clematis flowered so it looks a bit messy :-)
{{gwi:598509}}
The clematis continues to put out sporatic flowers for most of the summer.

A pink clematis might work as well - it would be useful to find an Arctic Beauty kiwi in a local garden to see exactly what the variegation colors are to help you choose a flowering companion if you want one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Clematis on the Web search page

Hi Virtuosity! You have a lovely pergola and you've received many excellent suggestions. But the idea of being 'Wow'd' every single day is daunting if by that you mean that you want vines that are in flower much if not most of the season.

I'm remined of a piece of good design advice..."Less is More." If you get a chance to go to Boston you'll see some charming examples of boston ivy. Harvard University in Cambridge will give you a great idea of how wonderful a simple vine can look if healthy and well manicured.

Then too there is famous Wrigley Field in Chicago. One employee there is responsible for maintaining that great example of a living fence.

Cheers,
Susan

Thanks for the idea Susan! I will have to visit Wrigley Field :)

Susan, I would like to know why you suggested Boston ivy. Do they produce suckers?

You could go for a butterfly hosting vine, like a passionflower. They have pretty neat flowers, and are hosts to a couple of butterflies. They don't have the "wow" factor like wisteria or clematis, but they are interesting :)

Thanks TreeRoots! Will look at it.

Susan, can't believe my wife wow'd on the boston ivy picture I showed to her.

Hi Virtu0s1ty,
I'm thrilled that she liked the picture you showed her of Boston Ivy. I suggested it because it seems to do a few things. I think it has little suckers that will cling to your arbor, and it will twine and grow, grow, grow. But come fall it may turn a wonderful rusty red color...another WOW for you!

Cheers,
Susan

And I might pick up 2 boston ivy's later. Since they're actually not messy though aggresive, I will also plant climbing new dawn rose! :) My honeysuckle goldflame is really bad! I'll take a picture later.

Beware New Dawn! Beautiful but VERY vigorous and those thorns are HUGE and SHARP!! We eventually removed ours after several years of trying to control it by swagging it along chains. I think the only suitable way to grow that one is to grow it along a 3-4' tall fence or other structure that it can be tied to and where you have easy access from both sides to prune it and maintain it. Like most climbing roses it blooms best on lateral growth from horizontal canes - that means most of the flowers will be on top of the arbour - and you'll soon have a heavy weight of canes on the top of the arbour. We were concerned that the weight would eventually be too heavy for the arbour to support! A beautiful plant but one that needs the right home if it is to be a part of the garden in the longterm!

Lateral growths that flower:
{{gwi:163714}}

In flower:
{{gwi:162704}}
{{gwi:165084}}

Beautiful! Any die back during winter?

I'm very sure my pergola will be able to support it since post are 8 inch x 8 inch and burried 4.5 ft deep.The inspector told me I can build a room on top of it. :)

No dieback in winter but some blackspot in late summer at times. The big problem is the long, thorny canes that reach out to grab anyone passing under the arbour! DH called it 'the Killer rose'! When we had the shed built in the backyard, we had to severely cut the rose back so it was safe for the guys building the shed to use the gate to move materials in and out..... It's a beautiful rose - but an unfriendly one! We now grow clematises on the arbour and swag chains - a much friendlier alternative!
{{gwi:253214}}

woodyoak, what state are you in and city? Are you also in Illinois? Just wanted to compare the zone where we live. Mine is zipcode 60142.

Just finished ordering Serotina Honeysuckle. It will be replacing my dying rotty Goldflame Honeysuckle.

I also ordered New Dawn climbing rose. It will be replacing my trumpet vine.

I'm not in the US - I'm in southern Ontario, west of Toronto, near the shore of Lake Ontario. This area is considered zone 5, except the moderating effect of the lake nearby means I can sometimes get away with zone 6 plants in sheltered spots.