We don’t often lift our eyes high to view flowers unless they are growing on trees. You can change this by training vining flowering plants up a tall obelisk, tuteur, or even a tall stick! One or more freestanding vertical structure festooned with flowers inserts a bit of drama to any landscape. Obelisks and tuteurs come in many heights and shapes, and they can be made from wood or metal. I placed a 6-foot-tall metal obelisk in a plant bed outside my dining room window and planted Jackman clematis (Clematis jackmanii) at its base—it blocks the view of the driveway when the large purple flowers appear each summer. During the holiday season, I twine several strings of white fairy lights around the obelisk for a festive touch.
What is the difference between an obelisk and tuteur? Tuteurs are freestanding, four sided, and pyramidal in shape. They have a stable base and taper toward the top. They originated in French traditional gardens. Obelisks are similar except they tend to be rectangular and may have a rounded top. Nowadays, the two names are often interchangeable. These climbing structures come in many sizes, and you can insert them in a planter or a garden bed. They are invaluable to gardeners with small outdoor spaces.
Some of my favorite flowering vines are morning glories, mandevillas, and honeysuckle. I particularly like the noninvasive common honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum), sometimes known as woodbine. It twines around overhead arbors, trellises, and even sturdy sticks and tree trunks. Its long-lasting flowers appear on new growth, and they emit a delicious scent. As an added bonus, you can use these versatile flowering vines as a lush seasonal privacy screen. Plant several small plants at the base of a well-built trellis and allow them to grow up and twine in and around the structure. Direct the vines’ growth by gently moving the twining tendrils where you want them to go. Do this often when the growth is still soft and pliable.
The compact clematis ‘Amethyst Beauty’ is a lovely flowered vine that grows well on a metal support. It sports 6-inch purple blossoms from early summer to late summer. The flower color changes from purple to lavender-blue as they age. It grows to 6 to 8 feet in zones 4–11. I planted this vine on a fence next to a gate so all who enter will see it.
The pink-flowered ‘Alice du Pont’ mandevilla (Mandevilla × amabilis ‘Alice du Pont’) is a sun-loving vine that grows upward with the help of tendrils. It climbs up a tuteur easily, as shown here. Mandevilla is grown as an annual flower in northern climates but is a frost-tender perennial. It is hardy in zones 10–11. The flowers pop when contrasted with a dark green frame, as shown here.
‘Goldflame’ honeysuckle (Lonicera × heckrottii ‘Goldflame’) has a gorgeous mix of deep pink buds with golden-yellow, tubular flowers. They bloom throughout the summer with a sweet fragrance that you can smell on warm evenings. Semi-evergreen in milder climates. Not invasive, 10- to 15- feet-high twining vine, grows upward on trellises, arbors, or chain-link fences. Zones 5–9.
Jewel tones are clear, vibrant colors that add sizzle to a garden. Here the bold yellow blooms of ‘Safari Yellow’ French marigold (Tagetes patula ‘Safari Yellow’) are planted next to Blue Horizon ageratum on the left and ‘Bandana Cherry’ lantana (Lantana camara ‘Bandana Cherry’) in the center. Also shown is ‘Buddy Purple’ globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa ‘Buddy Purple’) and ‘Serena Purple’ summer snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Serena Purple’). The green foliage blends the varying colors nicely.
I planted two shades of clear pink blooms of annual impatiens among the perennial stonecrop ‘Autumn Joy’ (Hylotelephium telephium ‘Autumn Joy’) for a restrained jewel-toned scene. The long-blooming stonecrop flowers will open to dark pink and slowly change to copper in fall. The bright colors of impatiens are muted by the shades of green and the variegated red twig dogwood (Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’) behind them.
Combined low-growing purple globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa) with yellow-and-orange lantana for a jewel-toned rock garden planting. The light green sedum in the background helps to cool it off.