Clematis is a good idea, but the Sweet Autumn Clematis is listed as invasive weed in the southeast. I am assuming you are in the US.
http://plants.usda.gov/core/pr...
Some non-native clematis are well behaved and brightly colored (I had a Jackman, think that was the name.) that was a beautiful purple, but rabbits will eat them to the ground if they are not protected with chicken wire or something.
I just planted several native clematis that have the same flower as the Sweet Autumn.
American Virgin's Bower (Clematis virginiana) It takes a couple of years to really fill out. Some of the individual vines are over ten feet long this first year.
If you have rabbits and deer, they will not eat it because it is poisonous to mammals. It will only go to seed if you happen to have both genders. Our state is called the Saudi Arabia of wind (Hence why we have all those eyesores along I-80.) and in our gusts, my clematis have held well to what they cling to. I am training some along a fence (These are our most exposed ones) and others up chicken wire attached to the house, on the north, east and south sides. I figured if any of them didn't make it, I'd still have some, but so far, none have died.
The reason I planted so many is I want them to go to seed, that is where I feel this plant's glory is. In our area, they are native and the county is planting native seeds in the ditches, so I figure if mine escape, it's helping them and the native insects. :)
I just put in Trumpet Creeper along a south fence, but I got them a couple of months ago as cuttings. I heard they can be vigorous. That is my hope for next year.
