In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:
Campsis radicans, the "Trumpet Vine".
Anyone growing them?

Yes.

I ask as a neighbour needs something up to about 10ft max to give some
privacy to their patio from a neighbour who has recently had an extension
with a 1st floor veranda. I was thinking of banging in some tall poles then
joining them across with wire or wood slats to make a frame and letting a
couple of Trumpet Vines in different colours (red & yellow) do their work.
Their garden faces South and is a sun trap so the vines should grow and
flower well and look spectacular.

There is one slight problem. Campsis is like ivy - it has long, thin
shoots that climb high while it is attached to a wall or tree trunk,
and bushes out and flowers when it starts to waggle in the breeze.
Do the books say this? Like hell, they do.

It isn't a major problem, if you know it, because you can nail the
slats diagonally and train the stems up the slats. But, if you don't
do that, it won't grow the way you expect.

However, to check: the soil IS free-draining, isn't it? I don't
think that Campsis can take poor drainage.

There are, of course, lots of other suitable climbers, including
Clematis armandii. But Campsis is spectacular, as you say, given
the right conditions.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.