How & Where to Grow Beautiful Vines
They are the cherry on top for a beautiful house. Here is a guide to growing vines in your home
Ansoo Gupta
8 October 2019
Houzz India Contributor. Urban Farmer. Avid Traveler. Design Admirer, Planet Lover, Marketer. Order Changes.
Houzz India Contributor. Urban Farmer. Avid Traveler. Design Admirer, Planet Lover,... More
While all plants add to the beauty of their surroundings, vines and climbers add a textural element and a new dimension wherever they thrive. They might be climbing up, cascading down or spreading across a wall, with their foliage and blossoms; they can be a highlight of your house and garden.
Sturdy plants that look delicate
Most vines are pretty hardy and easy to grow with a little care. With their delicate tendrils that grow out and cling to the nearest support, they will surprise you with their ‘intelligence’ and survival tactics. They can be grown in a pot or directly in soil. Do a little bit of space planning in terms of how you want your vine to grow out.
6 Amazing Vines & Creepers Perfect for Indian Gardens
Most vines are pretty hardy and easy to grow with a little care. With their delicate tendrils that grow out and cling to the nearest support, they will surprise you with their ‘intelligence’ and survival tactics. They can be grown in a pot or directly in soil. Do a little bit of space planning in terms of how you want your vine to grow out.
6 Amazing Vines & Creepers Perfect for Indian Gardens
Complete takeover
Green facades, fully covered with vines are quite popular these days. There are many vines that can be trained to grow on walls.
One of the best varieties to achieve this effect is the climbing fig vine (Ficus pumila). It is a hardy woody climber with small green leaves. It spreads along the wall without any support through its aerial roots that cling to the surface of of the wall. Ensure that there are no cracks or crevices in the wall and the plastering is done properly.
Find a landscape architect to help plan the vines in your garden and home
Green facades, fully covered with vines are quite popular these days. There are many vines that can be trained to grow on walls.
One of the best varieties to achieve this effect is the climbing fig vine (Ficus pumila). It is a hardy woody climber with small green leaves. It spreads along the wall without any support through its aerial roots that cling to the surface of of the wall. Ensure that there are no cracks or crevices in the wall and the plastering is done properly.
Find a landscape architect to help plan the vines in your garden and home
Gate arches
One of the best places to let your flowering vines grow with abandon is an arch at the gate.
Because it will get full sun, a flowering vine is well-suited for this rather than just a foliage vine. Rangoon creeper, clematis or star jasmine with its lingering scent, will fill your entryway with summer perfumes. Remember to prune them regularly when they come out of their dormant period to keep their shape and good health.
8 Climbing Plants Great for Indian Balconies & Gardens
One of the best places to let your flowering vines grow with abandon is an arch at the gate.
Because it will get full sun, a flowering vine is well-suited for this rather than just a foliage vine. Rangoon creeper, clematis or star jasmine with its lingering scent, will fill your entryway with summer perfumes. Remember to prune them regularly when they come out of their dormant period to keep their shape and good health.
8 Climbing Plants Great for Indian Balconies & Gardens
Door and window frames
If not arches, you can have your vines frame any of your doors or windows.
Most foliage vines require very little sunlight, whereas flowering vines will do well with 3-4 hours of direct sunlight. If you wish to grow fruiting vines, such as passion fruit, bitter gourd, various beans and so on, then 7-8 hours of direct sunlight is necessary.
Ways to Enhance Your Entry Porch
If not arches, you can have your vines frame any of your doors or windows.
Most foliage vines require very little sunlight, whereas flowering vines will do well with 3-4 hours of direct sunlight. If you wish to grow fruiting vines, such as passion fruit, bitter gourd, various beans and so on, then 7-8 hours of direct sunlight is necessary.
Ways to Enhance Your Entry Porch
Growing vines indoors
One of the restrictions one has indoors is with sunlight. Choose foliage vines such as devil’s ivy (money plant) for indoor use.
The other thing to plan is whether you want them to climb up vertically, grow horizontally or cascade down from a hanging pot.
When growing them on walls either horizontally or vertically, provide a trellis support, otherwise the vine will cling on to anything that it can find and it will be tough to manage the direction of its growth.
Look through these photos of gardens
One of the restrictions one has indoors is with sunlight. Choose foliage vines such as devil’s ivy (money plant) for indoor use.
The other thing to plan is whether you want them to climb up vertically, grow horizontally or cascade down from a hanging pot.
When growing them on walls either horizontally or vertically, provide a trellis support, otherwise the vine will cling on to anything that it can find and it will be tough to manage the direction of its growth.
Look through these photos of gardens
Preparing the soil
The soil should be well draining. A mix of coco peat, soil and fertiliser in the ratio of 2:1:1 will work well. Keep some pebbles at the bottom of the pot and ensure that excess water has a way of finding its way out. Add fertilisers once in four months, depending on the health of the plant. If the leaves seem yellow, it might be a sign of lack of fertiliser.
Shop for plants, pots and fountains from Houzz products
The soil should be well draining. A mix of coco peat, soil and fertiliser in the ratio of 2:1:1 will work well. Keep some pebbles at the bottom of the pot and ensure that excess water has a way of finding its way out. Add fertilisers once in four months, depending on the health of the plant. If the leaves seem yellow, it might be a sign of lack of fertiliser.
Shop for plants, pots and fountains from Houzz products
Do not overwater
Keep the soil moist to slightly dry, and not overwatered. Most plants, specially indoors, die due to overwatering. The stems and tendrils of vines are delicate and too much water will not only spoil the root ball but also harm healthy growth of leaves and tendrils.
If your vines are growing in a pot, look out for the root balls outgrowing the pot size. Switch to a bigger pot every year or two, depending on the growth.
Indoor Plants: 7 Most Common Symptoms of Poor Plant Health
Keep the soil moist to slightly dry, and not overwatered. Most plants, specially indoors, die due to overwatering. The stems and tendrils of vines are delicate and too much water will not only spoil the root ball but also harm healthy growth of leaves and tendrils.
If your vines are growing in a pot, look out for the root balls outgrowing the pot size. Switch to a bigger pot every year or two, depending on the growth.
Indoor Plants: 7 Most Common Symptoms of Poor Plant Health
Growing fruits and vegetables on a vine
Many fruits and veggies grow on vines. In the absence of a patch of land to make your kitchen garden, growing them on vines is a great alternative. You can train them on a wall with the support of a rope lattice or allow them to run horizontally at a height with a trellis.
If your space gets eight hours of direct sunlight, you can consider growing tomatoes (your own tomatoes-on-a-vine); many varieties of beans, passion fruit, bitter gourd and cucumbers grow on vines too.
Many fruits and veggies grow on vines. In the absence of a patch of land to make your kitchen garden, growing them on vines is a great alternative. You can train them on a wall with the support of a rope lattice or allow them to run horizontally at a height with a trellis.
If your space gets eight hours of direct sunlight, you can consider growing tomatoes (your own tomatoes-on-a-vine); many varieties of beans, passion fruit, bitter gourd and cucumbers grow on vines too.
Judicious use of space
Working with vines can help you make interesting use of spaces that would not provide any visual interest otherwise.
It can help you add visual height, create a shady pergola, double the area of your kitchen garden, scent your air or just provide good old greenery all around.
Working with vines can help you make interesting use of spaces that would not provide any visual interest otherwise.
It can help you add visual height, create a shady pergola, double the area of your kitchen garden, scent your air or just provide good old greenery all around.
Wherever you are planning to introduce vines, either inside your house or outside in your balcony or garden, the versatility and the ease of growing them will make you fall in love with them.
Read more:
Where to Grow Vines and Creepers
How to Prepare For a Vegetable Garden at Home
Tell us:
Have you transformed your space with a vine ? Share your experiences in Comments below.
Read more:
Where to Grow Vines and Creepers
How to Prepare For a Vegetable Garden at Home
Tell us:
Have you transformed your space with a vine ? Share your experiences in Comments below.
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Bougainvilla vine at the outdoor seating area
This looks really nice Anagha !