by Lydia Holley February 20, 2023
Forget about monsters hiding under the bed or in the closet. Worry about the monsters lurking in the garden. Although I have avoided some monsters, I have introduced others into my landscape. You may have them in your garden, too.
One of my monsters is ‘New Dawn’ climbing rose. What makes it a monster? Its vicious thorns. This rose reaches out and catches people as they walk under her arched support. She scratches and bites whenever I prune her. And she grows so quickly, she has to be pruned twice a year or she will take over. There are, of course, other climbing roses which are not monsters. Some are quite tame. I absolutely adore ‘Peggy Martin’ climbing rose, which is considered thornless and is easy to take care of.
Sweet autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora) is another monster of mine. It is quite beautiful, and with the words ‘sweet’ in its name, I never expected it to become a monster. It is fairly easy to keep tamed, but it must be cut to the ground every spring or it, too, would overtake the support it is climbing on. I have seen this plant growing wild in the woods, so it is not something you want to let loose. Other, tamer clematis will grow and produce beautiful flowers and some do not need to be pruned often, if at all. Do your research if all you want is a companion plant to climb and bloom among other plantings.
Wisteria is another monster. Beautiful. Fragrant. And enticing. But beware. It must be pruned to keep it from reaching places you do not want it to go or becoming so strong it tears down its support. Left to itself, it will take over tall trees and spread across their canopies. American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) is less vigorous than the Asian wisterias, even though it can grow up to 40 feet. Still, if you must have wisteria, American wisteria is worth looking for.
You may have different monsters in your garden. If you do, treat them with the respect and care they require and do not let them get out of control. You do not want end up with a garden that gives you nightmares.
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