I have two garden boxes (6′ wide, 2’deep, 2′ high that sit in front of a chain link fence. After our neighbour removed a large cedar hedge that had grown between the yards we installed two screens with the plan to grow some climbing vines for privacy. I’m wondering about types of vines that would grow well in these boxes (e.g., silver lace, trumpet vine, virginia creeper) as well as what other flowers (annuals or perennials) that would do well sharing space with the roots of the vine. Many thanks for your help.
It looks like you have a sunny garden, which gives you a wide range of choices for your planters. You also have the space to scale up your plant choices if you want to. Having two identical sizes planters can make for a visually balanced plant display, but you don’t have to be constrained by making each planter identical.
Your planters are against the fence line- so typically I would plant taller plants against the screen and the smaller plants at the front. I love the ‘thriller, filler, spiller’ rule with planters. Something tall and upright, some colourful flowers and interesting leaf textures/shapes in the middle and something to cascade over the edges of your planter. I have added a link below for more detailed information.
Choose plants that are from the same hardiness range and similar requirements for water.
Starting with the climbers you mentioned, I would avoid Silver Lace Vine, Polygonum aubertii, as it can be quite invasive.
Trumpet Vine, Campsis radicans, is a good choice. It is native, hardy and hummingbirds enjoy the flowers. It grows to 10 m, so you might consider planting it in one planter and allowing it to grow over to the other planters screen. They send out stiff canes of new grow and can be trained to grow where you want it with hooks or ties looped through your screen. It will stick itself to your screen. Keep an eye on the back of your screen as it may send long stems out to your neighbours side in search of something to cling to.
Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, is native. It can grow up to 40 ft, so you may find yourself pruning it quite often to keep it on your screen. Its stems are quite fine and brittle, so it would not be a good candidate for growing over to the other screen. If you have small children or pets be aware that it produces toxic berries.
Clematis virginiana is another native, that would fill your screens and offers a beautiful floral display that feeds pollinators and provides shelter for small birds. It has a profusion of smaller flowers. If you prefer the larger, very colourful blooms of the non-native varieties, look for compact varieties with a long flowering season. Search ‘Boulevard Collection’ Clematis and ‘Patio Clematis’. There are many colours and flowers to choose from, and they typically grow to 4 or 5 ft.
Thriller: For a striking vertical accent you could choose: a perennial that has tall flower spikes -like Bugbane, Actea racemosa or the native Joe-Pye Weed, Eupatorium ‘Little Joe’,
a grass – like the native Prairie Dropseed, Sporobolus heterolepsis with very fine blades of grass that form a 2 ft fluffy mound, with 3-4 ft flower spikes. It turns golden orange in the fall. Birds love the seed heads. Also Shenandoah Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ which changes colours throughout the season and grows 3ft tall with 4ft pinkish seed heads.
or an onion!- like Drumstick Allium, Allium sphaerocephalon, colourful spiky balls on a stick 2-3 ft high.
Filler: Add colourful hardy flowers like Yarrow, Achillea millefolium which has interesting leaves, comes in many colours and sizes to compliment your other plant choices, or one of the Sages like the purple stemmed Meadow Sage, Salvia Nemerosa ‘Caradonna’ which pairs well with grasses.
Spiller: Hardy and long flowering perennials like Trailing Cranesbill, Geranium ‘Johnsons Blue’ or Trailing Verbena, Verbena x hybrida for low maintenance cascading growth
With proper care, most perennials will do well as long as you encourage your climbers up the screens and dont let them creep through the planter and overgrow the other plants. I have added a few links below that may help you plan your container plantings.
Thriller, Filler, Spiller Plants for Planters
Overwintering Plants in Planter Boxes