Creepers, Climbers and Runners

Flaming Trumpet: (Pyrostegia venusta)

I have experimented a lot with creepers and climbers available locally in Pune - but haven't found the right creeper for my garden. I basically want a creeper that is not too agressive, has nice leaves and beautiful flowers and can seed it self without much help. I started out with the Red Morning Glory creeper from the Ipomoea family - this was a prolific creeper and grows very agressively and casts tendrils over anything it finds in its attempt to grow. So it basically started messing up the other plants around it and I had to search for something more sedate. I found the Flaming Trumpet creeper (I am making a guess here) which seemed pretty sedate at first glance. Its been a week since I planted it - I am hoping it will turn out to be a creeper that can be trained well on to the fence and not go beserk all over the other plants in the bed. Let's see - time will tell.








Black Eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata) - This is another creeper I have in my garden. It is generally very well behaved and starts climbing on trainer wheels. I had to push the plant on to the fence a couple of times before it got the hint and started what hopefully will be a long term relationship with the fence. The nice thing about it is its controlled ascent - and its careful and considerate creeping. It has started to mass a lot at the base and seems to be gathering steam before starts its upward surge. I love the cheerful yellow flowers with the black dot in the center. This creeper is also self seeding - so its going to be a matter of time before the whole fence is covered with this vine. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Here is an adult Black Eyed Susan - adult because it has finally figured that the fence exists for it to creep and climb all day. This one is a little unruly and has started bothering the plant in the container in the top left corner of the picture. I have to chide the vine gently every morning and clear the tendrils off the other plant - it seems to be getting the message and has started it journey eastward in search of greener pastures. There is a Ficus just in front of the vine - but they share a very healthy relationship and seem to be doing well so far. My Ipomoea would probably have choked the Ficus by now.

Cardinal Creeper (Ipomoea horsfalliae) - This is another great creeper from the Ipomoea family but with very little agressive behaviour I have found typical with other vines in this family. Lovely green glossy leaves with beautiful purple tubular flowers that grow in huge clusters. This is a phenomenally well behaved vine - it winds itself magestically all over the fence and is very open to suggestion. I often turn it one way or the other and it uncomplainingly proceeds with great gusto in that direction. It does not choke any plants around it and gently meanders all over the fence. I just love this plant. A+ for behaviour.

Wedelia Creeper - I have a small back garden that has a sloping area. I will post a perspective picture of that garden sometime. This picture is of the Wedelia creeper that I have started to grow in that garden. My goal is to have this creeper cover the slope with its glossy green leaves and sunny yellow flowers that pop up with regular frequency. The Wedelia is really a runner - it does not cast tendrils or cling to any surface - it just slithers over the ground and spreads happiness and greenery all round.