Support a Climbing Vine With an Upside Down Fence

We planted Sweet Autumn Clematis in May, to climb up one of the porch columns of the Potting Shed. Clematis vines attach by tendrils and need slender supports; if the support is too thick, the vine will merely attach to its own stems, growing into a tangled mess.

To encourage it to climb, I purchased up some plastic mesh fencing. It came in a 2 foot by 25 foot roll that was easy to cut.

I cut sections to loosely wrap around the porch post, allowing some breathing room for the vine as it twined its way around, and climbed up the post.

Cable ties hold the sections together and can be snipped off so the mesh can be removed. The sections can be stored flat at the end of fall when the vine is cut back and the garden is tidied up and put to bed for the winter.

The tendrils needed some coaxing and training to help them climb their way up the mesh and post.

To help the vine make its way horizontally across the top of the shed porch, I used some metal garden fencing I purchased a couple of years ago. I bought it to keep hungry bunnies from mowing down the flowers . . . a losing proposition!

The green metal fencing came in a 14-inch high x 20-foot long roll with a scalloped top. You can find it on Amazon,  HERE.

 I didn’t want the fencing to be permanent, with the option to remove it later.

I bent the bottom 3-inch legs of the fence and tucked them in the gap

between the fascia board and the metal overhang of the porch roof to see if they would hold.

Yippee. . .it felt secure enough to hold a sprawling vine!

Hanging upside down, the scallops of the fence look like a wire valance. :)

Growing up the left post of porch shed is an Amethyst Falls American Wisteria vine. American wisteria is better suited for smaller spaces and grows at about a third of the rate of Asian wisteria, which can be invasive in the Southern U.S.

The above photo is how the clematis looked in mid-July. . .

And 6 weeks later, blooming its first year, at the end of August.

Sweet Autumn Clematis is hardy in USDA zones 4 – 9. It’s a prolific grower and fragrant bloomer with the twining stems

reaching 20 – 30 feet with support of a trellis or fence.

It grows in full sun, dappled sunlight, or partial shade and thrives

 in well-drained soil. Mulching the soil surface is recommended to

conserve moisture and shade the roots. Water deeply and regularly the first growing season to establish the root system.

You can reduce watering frequency once established.

The creamy white blooms create a billowy fragrant mass in late summer or early fall, attracting pollinators . . .bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.

Sweet Autumn Clematis an over achiever in the reseeding-department, so you have to keep it in check and it is considered invasive in some areas. To keep it in check, prune it immediately after blooming, before the flowers have a chance to go to seed. In late fall, give it a hard prune, cutting it down to about a foot in height.

Note: The leaves, sap and juice of Sweet Autumn Clematis are toxic if eaten, to dogs, cats and horses. Gardening gloves are recommended when handling and cutting Sweet Autumn Clematis, as skin irritation and contact dermatitis may occur.

See how much it's grown one year later, HERE, along with a garden update with Winged Beauties & Fearless Flyers.

Find a favorite garden hack, using a $3 Slinky as trellis for a favorite flowering vine, HERE.