How to Hold Vines on a Wall

Clinging vines such as English ivy and trumpet creeper have aerial roots. They work like suction cups, attaching themselves to walls, tree trunks and other vertical surfaces without need for support. Vines such as clematis, on the other hand, cannot stay upright on their own with something narrow to wrap their stems around. Affixing a vine to a wall has many options. If you are short of ideas, “Southern Living” magazine has one to offer.

Eyebolts, 1 inch
Galvanized cable
Drill
Silicone caulk, outdoor use
Shears

Instructions

- 1
  Draw the wall design you want to create on a piece of paper. This step is optional. Use it if you need a plan to guide you. Decide beforehand how you want the wall to look after you finish your landscaping. You will train the vine to a support using 1-inch eyebolts and galvanized cable. With a design in mind, you know how many bolts and how much wire to buy.
- 2
  Drill holes on the wall where the eyebolts will go based on your design. Screw the bolts in. The magazine “Southern Living” recommends sealing the holes with silicone caulk to prevent water from getting in the spaces between the bolt and the wall.
- 3
  Thread the cable through the eye of the first bolt in the sequence. Tie that end of the cable to it. Continue to weave the cable through each bolt to form the pattern. Pull the cable tight after you put it through each eye and loop it through the same bolt again before threading it through the next. Tie the cable to the last bolt to keep the wire weaving you created from unraveling.
- 4
  Wrap the vine stems around the cable, covering the coated wire to trace the pattern on the wall. Keep the plant in place with twist ties. If you start with a young vine, it may be a couple of seasons before there is sufficient plant length to cover the entire support. When the pattern is complete, trim the vine regularly to keep it within that framework.

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