Planting a vine against the side of your house will help keep that wall cool in the summer (by shading it) and warm in the winter (by giving it a pocket of air to insulate, and reduce wind chill).
Just make sure the vine is an evergreen one or it won't help insulate in winter. (for our northern gardening friends)
I am a strong believer in the simple fact is that what matters in this life is how we treat others. I think that's what living is all about. Not what I've done in my life but how I've treated others. ~~ Sharon Brown
(Wink) We forget about them yanks & things being deciduous.
I am a strong believer in the simple fact is that what matters in this life is how we treat others. I think that's what living is all about. Not what I've done in my life but how I've treated others. ~~ Sharon Brown
Name: Susie Phoenix AZ (Zone 9a) Southwest Gardening~ moderator/ATP.
I can see the wisdom in this planting tip. I would love to have a pretty vine or two or three growing on the south side of my house over the trellis. My Gen. Contractor warns me against it because it can bring destructive bugs, termites, and critters (we have a roof rat problem in Phoenix). He says it can be detrimental to the wood health itself. I'm considering a lattice that I can keep trim and away from the overhang itself. He would cringe if I covered the trellis.
Name: Toni Denver Metro (Zone 5a) Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Actually, just because we love in a cold area doesn't mean we're yanks here in CO. LOLLLLLLL
Susie - Go for a honeysuckle. They don't eat into siding. I have a honeysuckle that I call a Triffid (from the 1962 movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt00...) that's gotten huge. I love honeysuckle and they're almost a evergreen for us. I have one on my west side (my triffid) and now one on my south side. The one on the south is just a baby, though.
Name: Susie Phoenix AZ (Zone 9a) Southwest Gardening~ moderator/ATP.
LOL! Good point, Hetty!
Because of what he said I've hung planted baskets, whirlie gigs, hummer feeders and chimes from the trellis.
Toni: How did I MISS that movie in 1962? Hilarious! I'll look into the honeysuckle. You know we have an abundance of UFOs here in AZ. Who knows what they're carrying to our barren lands! Triffids!
Name: June or Nancy-June o Fort Leonard Wood, MO (Zone 6a)
If you use stand-offs to attach the trellis to the walls of the house while keeping it 8 to 12 inches away from the wood, you would still have some air circulation and lessen the chance of damage from critters and rot.
We have had English Ivy covering the east back wall of our home for over 40 years with no ill effects. Our wall is brick and we keep the growth cut about 4 bricks down from the wood overhang. Looks pretty pitiful right now as the intense summer we had fried about half of it crisp. Will have the yard crew tidy it up in a couple of weeks and it comes back good as new.
