permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

Homestead landscape plants.

Common honeysuckle, lonicera japonica grows as a vine, flowers
profusely, offers sweet nectar for foraging insects and you can flavor
ice cream with the nectar. It is considered a "weed";
I consider it a blessing. It is excellent for erosion control,
wildlife habitat, garden fencing, privacy screening and is a lovely
ornamental in the permascape.

"Star jasmine, <i>Trachelospermum jasminoides</i>, has similar
qualities and is fairly hardy."
I think that may be a very pretty ornamental vine; will have too llok
it up. I worked as a landscape contractor for 16 years in the SE USA
(central NC Z6-Z7). Other lonicera to grow that are not invasive are:
Woodbine, coral honeysuckle, lonicera sempervirens
http://www.pbase.com/mtwoman/image/123994590. This is fairly hardy but
will need repropagating, fertilizing and adequate watering to keep it
in the garden; USDA Hardiness Zone 5 - 8. It grows as a small vine
and can be found in the wild rarely. Another is a deciduous flowering
shrub usually associated with colonial or English cottage gardens,
Sweet Breath of Spring, winter honeysuckle or lonicera fragrantissima.
The smell of these flowers in late winter is just wonderful and a good
taste of things to come as Spring. approaches. This is hardy and can
be used as tall hedging.
http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/general/lst.gen.asp?prodid=2450
http://www.phillipoliver.net/winterhoneysuckle.htm
http://www.floridata.com/ref/l/loni_fra.cfm
I would combine it with a nitrogen fixing native, Elaeagnus
angustifolia. ELAEAGNACEAE – Russian olive, which is also considered
invasive (not where I am). It has very fragrant flowers and bears
delicious edible fruit with medicinal qualities (see PFAF). Another
native vine with beautiful fragrant yellow trumpet-like blooms is
Carolina Jasmine; I have it growing on a fence along my farm's
property line:
http://www.plant-supplies.com/plants/gelsemiumsempervirens.htm
Gelsemium sempervirens | Evening Trumpetflower, Carolina Jasmine,
Yellow Jasmine, Gelsemium, Wild Jasmine | Vine
"Gelsemium sempervirens belongs to the plant family GELSEMIACE and
Genus Gelsemium This Vine prefers Moist, well drained soil a pH of 7 .
All plants need light to allow the photosynthesis process of
converting carbon dioxide to growth sugars to take place. Some plants
need more sun-light than others. For this plant those sunlight
conditions are well described as … Full sun to light shade."

Lawrence London
lfljvenaura@gmail.com