Horticultural professor at the University of Georgia, Athens, Allan M. Armitage has brought together a collection of climbing plants into one resource made for the home gardener who plants flower gardens. Armitage’s Vines and Climbers: A Gardener’s Guide to the Best Vertical Plants contains profiles on 115 plants found in 70 different genera.
Each plant profile includes the botanical name with a pronunciation, common name, a general description of the plant along with the author’s personal stories, plant hardiness information, how each vine climbs and propagation techniques, highlighting the time and by what method is best to root another plant.
Table of Contents
In Armitage’s Vines and Climbers, the well-respected garden author has incorporated his first hand experiences and garden stories into the plant descriptions. Whether it is the popular vines of the Clematis genera or the relatively unknowns, there is an appealing story behind each plant idea.
Berberidopsis corallina, the coral plant that Armitage readily admits is difficult to find and grow, is one of his personal favorites. Gardeners will enjoy being regaled with garden stories like Armitage’s first seeing the Berberidopsis corallina in Helen Dillon’s garden in Dublin, Ireland.
Through Armitage’s conversational manner he easily expresses his curiosity for all plants whether annual or perennial vines. Along side the tropical Mandevillia and the old-fashioned sweet peas, Lathyrus odoratus, Armitage offers gardeners ideas like the Cucurbita vine.
Touted more often for food, the cucumber family has ornamental value too. Cucurbita members include melons, squash and pumpkins more often seen scrambling along in a vegetable garden. But it is the gourd plant that the author expounds on, offering up ideas for growing it vertically.
Several reference sections in Armitage’s Vines and Climbers: A Gardener’s Guide to the Best Vertical Plants make the book a useful tool beyond reading enjoyment. The ‚”List of Vines by Characteristic Uses” and the ‚”Index of Botanical Names” and ‚”Index of Common Names” are ready references for the home gardener.
The categorized vine lists enable gardeners to easily assemble ideas for small gardens, plants with fragrance and growing indoors. The practical cold hardiness list has, next to each genus, the zone of the most cold-hardy species.
Written by Allan M. Armitage, Armitage; s Vines and Climbers: A Gardener’s Guide to the Best Vertical Plants was published by Timber Press Incorporated, April 7, 2010. The book has 212 pages filled with 241 photos. Gardeners wanting to plant up by using vertical space can use ISBN-10 1604690399 or ISBN-13 9781604690392 to locate this hard cover garden book.
Beyond the popular plants, used to grow gardens vertically, are what Armitage says are the best ornamental vines and climbers that can lend value to any garden, inside and outdoors. As Armitage explains, ‚”We should try to appreciate the weird and the wonderful.”
Garden readers may want to read about fast growing annual vines for more inspiration, as well.
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