Matter of fact, I think my husband might be a smidge afraid of it. He has suggested more than once that I cut it back to keep it a little more under control. See the window box in the above picture? There is a window above the window box. Really. It's our bathroom window.
This is what it looks like when you walk into our bathroom in bright daylight. The Virginia Creeper effectively blocks nearly all light from coming in the window.
To the right of the trellis, it's trying to get a foothold up on the roof plus making a run for our bedroom double window. (I know hubby is hoping for a killing frost before it shuts out all light into the bedroom as it's done in the bathroom.)
Looking to the left from outside, I think the door could become welded shut by the tendrils if the vine had a couple more months to grow.
This is the view from inside the house. The door still swings easily open and shut as the vine is only attached (so far) to the top screen on the door. I think it looks pretty neat. Almost as if I planned it that way.If I can just keep the pruning shears hidden from my husband, I can enjoy all this natural decoration for another month or so. (Hee-hee-hee.)
12 comments:
IT'S ALIVE!!!! Well, of course it is. I guess they don't call it a "creeper" for nothing? It is very beautiful, isn't it? What a lovely place you have, Mama Pea.
Dearest Hubby thought our Virginia Creeper was poisen oak, and hacked it all down. You can imagine his thoughts (and MINE!) when I showed him the book on plants to attract wildlife.....and there was THE VINE. Well, I know where to steal one now............
Hee hee hee!
:)
Susan - It is indeed alive! From looking deader than a door nail in the spring to this a couple of months later. The remarkable thing is it's planted right up next to the house with the roof overhang above it so it gets very, very little benefit from any rain.
Thanks for the nice compliment . . . next week I'll post all week about the ugly, unkempt spots that need a lot of work! Hmmm, maybe I should set that up as a challenge??
Sue - Big ooops.
To steal mine I think all you have to do is get in your canoe and paddle directly across the big lake!
My hubby thought it needed to be eradicated too... I went out to my back fence last year and found him in one of those white paper painters suit things and gloves and was tearing it down and severing the base of it with a weed whacker!!! Poor thing, he was trying to protect us from the evil Virginia Creeper and I yelled at him :)
It looks very healthy, does it have time to get a nice crimson red there before it gets too cold?
Creeper is the label my teenage daughter gives to any strange looking guy she sees! Too funny. It is such a pretty vine, though, especially as it turns crimson in the fall. Can't wait!
I love wild foliage like that. I want some of it, please.
I think it is neat too. Will it take some shade? I tend to find my wild stuff in the shade of trees growing with the weeds. Perhaps I should try to transplant it to a better site. You have inspired me Mama Pea. Have a great weekend.
Love it! It reminds me of those English cottages with the ivy climbing up the side:)
Erin - Yepper, it does turn a beautiful crimson but then the leaves fall off all too soon.
Melissa - And if the guy was from Virginia, he'd be a Virginia Creeper! ;o)
JJ - Wish I could send you a cutting! I'm not sure what we're doing wrong, but my daughter has taken a couple of cuttings to start some of her own with no luck.
Lorie - Mine is in at least semi-shade for part of the day and seems happy.
Stephanie - I've always loved that cottage covered look, too!
I have a grape vine that has 'creeped' over my windows. I have no air conditioning so it actually makes it cooler by not letting the hot air and sun through that window. Of course it also ripped the screen up, but I still liked it there.
jane - I'm gonna have to tell my husband that your grape vines actually ripped the screen. He complains about all the little brown, dried up tendrils the Virgina Creeper leaves on the screens when I pull them off in late fall! See? Could be worse!
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