In Edmonton we get two kinds of vines: those that take over everything in sight and those that dwindle and die. I have grown plenty of both. For instance, my yellow clematis grew splendidly. It took over the entire balcony and roof, and started to pull the whole structure off the wall. (It has since been declared a banned species.) I then planted a grape vine that went moldy and coated with flies. In a last ditch effort – hope dwindling – I tried this bittersweet vine. It has been an unmitigated success. In fact, a neighbour asked if we wind it around by hand as it spins on railings with the skill of a Russian ballerina.
