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is that when it blossoms (which it does in a discreet, if not drab way) it's pollinated by flies. So there are all these flies hovering and buzzing around your ivy as if someone had thrown dead meat in there. :hurl: Virginia creeper doesn't do that, at least...
Ivy once it gets established grows very quickly. I happen to just love ivy because of it being green year round. On one arbor I have ivy growing over it with clematis planted with it, the clematis looks lovely blooming through the greenness of the ivy. However, the ivy is choking out the clematis. The ivy should look great on a fence, you could also plant a clematis a little further along the fence.
I like virginia creeper (as well as many other climbers). It's so gorgeous in the fall although it can take off and get into roofing and such. On a fence I don't see it being a problem. There are some fences around here with various things cascading over them and they look nice and lush in the summer. I like that look.
The winter twig thing to me, is no different than a lot of the bare vegetation we learn to put up with in the winter and I think sometimes it's pretty interesting, almost like line drawings on walls.
Bigmama, you don't have to stay just with ivy, there are lots of roses and clematis and other plants that climb you might consider. A lot depends on your climate and light conditions. Honeysuckly goes really quickly here (and this is not a good gardening zone) and has nice little bright flowers, but it depends on the look you want. Ivy basically stays green until fall but there are lots of flowering vines you might try if you want more colour.
I should have said that. It doesn't look very nice until late in the spring, really. Although it's briefly gorgeous in the fall when the leaves turn purple and crimson.
If you have ever been to or seen pictures of the Empress Hotel in Victoria it is covered in Virginia Creeper looks good in the summer but not so great in the winter. It is just a mass of bare twiggs all over the building
I never had much luck with ivy, but the silver lace vine grows about 10 feet in the 1st year. with many branches off the main stalk. It takes the first year to get started and then takes off, flowers in the late summer with white blooms.
Best to prune it down to about 6" before frost. The leaves are smallish and the blooms in clusters. :)
to add: it prefers full sun and will gorw in any soil type, and on a fence easy to prune back.
is pretty but would take a while (a few years to get really full).
Engleman's ivy (virginia creeper) will grow like stink (might be your worst weed later though). Why they call it creeper I will never fathom -- should be bounder or streaker.