Someone asked about the Virginia Creeper
 

We,ve had ours for 25yrs,grows on the back of the house(we have ugly brick)and under the bird-bath.
I only recommend it if you have time to keep it in check,or you'll have it everywhere.
It's hubbies baby,so he trims it.
It turns burgundy in the fall,really pretty.

Thanks, Chico. It looks great on the bird bath. One of the catalogues I got recently from a Plant Nursery actually has it for sale but I think I'll give that a miss. LOL. Don't know whether it'd spread like crazy here or not, and not willing to find out.

I made the mistake of planting it up here along the fence and it went nuts..got into the flower beds close by and after years of trying to kill it with round up I think I finally got it all. I bought it for the red fall colour but I wouldn't get it again. The birds loved to nest in it though. *S*

it grows wild here and has pulled down a few shumacker (spelling) tree's next to us...

my parents had a creeper that they actually brought back from friend's in virginia....it had covered almost their whole back fence, but they had to cut it all down when that wind storm we had a while back knocked down the fence! so sad, it was in great shape too.

I kind of like it,but you cannot let it grow out of shape,I have a picture here somewhere with the fall-colors,got to look for it..here it is with Rocky,when he was just young.

chico...I loved the colour too. I missed the red autumn colours from southern ontario when I moved up here so that is why I got it..but I just couldn't keep mine in check. Your lucky it's hub's baby. *S*

oh I love it too chico!! it makes almost a mountain looking sculpture beside us *L*

That is really beautiful in its Autumn shades, Chico,(the cat was beautiful too). I might be tempted later, at the moment I am still searching for things to climb roses on.

Aw Rocky!:lovestruck: I always loved that shot of him...looks like a wild kitty! :grouphug:

Dahmer,yeah,Rocky was very special,I think he's about a year there,we were training him to stay in the backyard,hence the HUGE bell around his neck.:laughing:

Hubby takes care of it every summer,trims it if it gets too big....

That would have been me, Chico. I was looking up plants and shrubs that are good for attracting birds. As beautiful as yours are, (love the pic of Rocky :cloud9:), I'm going to have to pass on planting some as I'd be too lazy to keep them in check :o.

I think that's a good call. I just spent an hour in my dinky (almost small enough to jump over) well garden, ripping out daisies-gone-wild and thinning out the Virginia Creeper... And it's not even half done!!! :yell: :wall: :o At least the creeper was trying to strangle daisies (along with everything else)... *sigh*

Just be careful you're not allergic to Virginia Creeper before planting it. Me and a few of my cats are VERY allergic to this stuff... It's so pretty, though... It's not a real common allergy, but it's really nasty if you have it.

Ok so I'm debating if I should plant one or two of these... maybe some one could chime in how well the spread.

I want it to cover a 10x20 pergola that's over a driveway beside the deck, it's is about 20' high, plus the fence that runs along it. I'm debating if I should do one plant in one corner by the fence and then guide it to spread (apparently it grows fast too).. or should I do two plants one in opposite corner (20' apart) along the fence. This way I can guide both to climb up the pergola, along the fence towards each other, and plus along the fence away from the pergola.

The only thing is to dig one of the holes would require removing some pavers and digging through the gravel under neath it.. I would rather avoid having to do that, but I do want to have nice coverage.. just not sure if one plant will manage it. This is facing the neighbour's deck so I'm going for maximum privacy.

Anyone?

I'm too busy ripping it out to figure out how much you'd need for coverage, Choochi. :laughing: If it grows as well there as it does here, one plant might well do the job if you're willing to wait a bit. Might take a growing season or two to get really full--and if it doesn't seem like it's going to, you can always disrupt your pavers and add the second plant later...

[QUOTE=hazelrunpack;1028779]I'm too busy ripping it out to figure out how much you'd need for coverage, Choochi. :laughing: If it grows as well there as it does here, one plant might well do the job if you're willing to wait a bit. Might take a growing season or two to get really full--and if it doesn't seem like it's going to, you can always disrupt your pavers and add the second plant later...[/QUOTE]

That's a very good point! Add one later? Sheesh! Must be Friday!

Choochi,I think you can judge by how much we got from just one plant,at my house it's hubbies baby and he keeps it from growing all over the yard.
If you want to cover a pergola it's great,but be prepared for a lot of trimming,I think I would probably try something else,if I were you.
I cannot think of something specific,that grows fast,but there are several vines to choose from.