Top Annual Vines for Summer Color
 (Read 500+ times)
By Glory Lennon
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When speaking of plants for the ultimate summer color, nothing compares to annuals. Bushy, vibrantly colored and profusely blooming Marigolds, Petunias, Impatiens and Zinnias reign supreme in the flower bed, in containers and even in window boxes. The one thing all these plants lack, however, is height.
This is where the annual vine comes in. Plant a few vines against a fence or trellis and watch as it twines around the entire thing bursting with bright flowers and lovely foliage. Choose a fast growing vine to quickly cover an arbor for instant shade and a cool place to share a drink with friends and family. Plant a few in window boxes or containers to cascade down and soften sharp angles. Allow them to sprawl along the ground for a nifty and highly colorful groundcover. Make a tee-pee with several bamboo poles and watch the vines climb and cover the whole thing creating a tiny hide-away for a little kid and perhaps even an adult with Peter Pan syndrome.
Vines can do all this and above all else give the garden a flash of color that will be noticed and appreciated by neighbors, butterflies and hummingbirds too. With this in mind here is a list of the best annual vines for summer color.
Morning Glory (Ipomoea)
This garden favorite grows 8-10 feet high and boasts bright green heart-shaped leaves and trumpet shaped flowers in a wide range of colors, some even bi-colors. The heavenly blue color being the most sought after of Morning Glories is therefore the one sold out first in stores. As its name implies it blooms in the morning and closes as soon as the sun is high and hot in the sky. Careful planting, however, can ensure a longer blooming time. Plant the Morning Glory where it will get morning sun with shade after noon, as on the east side of the house, and the flowers won’t fade as quickly as they otherwise would.
Moonflower vine
A cousin of the Morning Glory, Moonflower is a nocturnal version excellent for the “moonlight” garden or for those who get home too late to enjoy their gardens by day. Its blossoms open as the sun is setting, attracting night pollinators with its intoxicating perfume, and closes again once the sun rises. A perfect companion to the Morning Glory if allowed to intertwine on the same fence, lamppost or arbor because as one opens the other closes giving the garden constant color.
Black-eyed-Susan Vine (Thunbergia)
Offering flowers in varying shades of cream, orange and bright yellows all with the distinctive dark center from which it gets its name, Black-eyed Susan vine can grow to 6 feet tall with lovely heart shaped, deeply veined leaves in a rich green color. Makes an excellent ground cover as well.
Hyacinth Bean (Dolichos lablab)
Another vine with somewhat heart shaped leaves, Hyacinth Bean also has lovely flowers in a pinkish-purple color which become the seed pods also in a rich, glossy, reddish purple which perfectly match the stems and the prominent veins on the leaves. Simply beautiful allowed to ramble on a fence or trellis.
Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus)
A heavenly scented early spring favorite, Sweet peas grow up to about four feet high and have vibrantly colored flowers in pinks, reds, purples, blue and white too. Make sure these are planted close to a window to allow the lovely scent indoors.
Purple bell vine (Rhodochiton astrosanguineum)
This unusual and little known vine grows to about 6 feet high and blooms profusely all summer giving the garden bright pink bells with another deep purple flower growing within its center and dangling, just like a bell’s clapper. The leaves are heart shaped and most attractively edged in pink to match the flower stems. Quite exquisite.
Cup-and-saucer vine (Cobaea scandens)
This vine can get to 25 feet in length if the growing season is long enough. The unremarkable foliage is a medium green, small and oval shaped with heavy veins. The pretty flowers start out as unobtrusive, pale green “cups” with a tiny “saucer” at its base. The flower as it ages turns a deep reddish purple. Great for the tall arbor or to cover a fence.
Sweet potato vine. (Ipomoea batata)
Though lacking flowers, these ornamental vines are grown for their striking foliage and dramatic coloration which contrast nicely with most annuals. Many gardeners grow both the slightly oblong, heart shaped chartreuse leaved and the dark, burgundy-purple leaved vines together as a groundcover, in window boxes to cascade down or at the base of container plants. Very versatile and at the end of the season they can be brought into the house to serve as house plants in hanging baskets.
Scarlet runner bean ( Phaseolus coccineus)
The large leaves and long sprays of bright red flowers make this a great 8 foot long vine for covering a fence or arbor. As an added benefit the bean pods that develop after the flowers drop, if picked young, are edible.
Nasturtiums ( Tropaeolum majus)
Deeply veined round foliage is a very pretty bright green and the flowers pop in brilliant orange, red and yellow. Often grown in the kitchen garden because the edible and highly fragrant flowers and leaves which have a peppery taste somewhat like Watercress make a nice addition to salads.
Though these are just a few of the many annual vines available to the home gardener it is easy to see why these plants would make a lovely addition. These tall, spreading, sprawling, twining vines will burst with color for the entire summer giving the garden a much needed “uplift”. Any good gardener should try at least one and once they do they will be compelled to try the others because they will like them so much. But who’s complaining? One annual vine is just never enough.
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Author Bio Box: Glory Lennon
 Follow me on Facebook and Twitter as Glorystory33 & Moonbeam33.
Short Stories @ Helium: http://www.helium.com/users/32782/show_articles
How to create your own backyard bird sanctuary: http://www.helium.com/zone/2884-how-to-create-your-own-backyard-bird-sanctuary
Tree Zone: http://www.helium.com/zone/2774-
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Violet’s in Bloom, a romance novel: http://www.helium.com/zone/3012-violet-in-bloom-a-romance-novel-by-glory-lennon
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