Vines play garden roles no other plant can fill. They cover arbors and screen porches, creating shady oases on hot summer days. They hide unattractive sheds and tree stumps; they cloak stark chain-link fences with greenery and bloom. And with neatly trimmed vines framing its doors and windows, an ordinary house facade can become a standout.

Gardeners with space limitations often turn to vines as a way to include more plants in a pocket-handkerchief garden. Many choices grow happily in containers, adding color and privacy to decks and patios.

Other than the fact that all have long, pliable stems (when they're young, in any case), vines differ greatly. They may be evergreen, semievergreen, or deciduous; they may be modest in size or rampant enough to engulf trees or scale high walls. Many grow well in ordinary garden soil with an annual springtime application of fertilizer, but a few need rich, well-amended soil and regular fertilizer throughout the growing season. Some require ample moisture, but a great many perform well with little additional water once established.

Climate preferences vary too, so always match your climate zone to the vines you want to grow. Many are native to semitropical parts of the world and cannot tolerate cold temperatures--or they may remain lush and green all year where winters are mild, but drop their foliage or die to the ground during winter in colder areas. Some vines are well behaved in temperate zones but grow with great vigor in warmer regions, overwhelming their support (and possibly the entire garden, too!).

Though most vines are quite easy to grow, they do need an appropriate support structure and some attention to training while young. Once they obtain the right size for their location, they'll usually require periodic pruning to stay in bounds.