Question
Hi Kathleen
I live in Paris France - I dont know what zone that is the equivalent of - but we get a lot of rain and it reminds me a little of Seattle (where I lived for 15 years) but less humid.
I am trying to grow a glodflame honeysuckle in a 13" pot on my balcony.  I am directing the vines to grow somewhat horizontally along the balcony railing.  
I have southwestern exposure, the plant is growing well, but not that it is starting to blossom, the flowers fall off relatively early, they do not develop into berries, and there is very little frangrance.  There are black spots on some leaves and on some of the base of the buds before and after they bloom.
I am keeping aphids in check very vigilantly (mostly with soap and water mixture).
Do I have a sick plant?  Does directing it to grow more horizontally inhibit or hurt the plant?  Any or all suggestions are very welcome.  
Many thanks in advance.
Maria

Answer
Bonjour, Maria! Let's tackle the last few questions first.  Growing Lonicera x heckrottii (Goldflame honeysuckle# horizontally will by no means hurt the plant.  In fact, some gardeners like to use honeysuckle as a sort of groundcover - even for controlling erosion -- since it does like to spread out.  As for whether or not you have a sick plant, it has been my experience that Lonicera can be prone to two problems #besides aphids, of course# - powdery mildew and black spot. Lonicera likes full sun #or at least 4-6 hours of direct sun each day# but can tolerate light shade, especially in areas where the summers deliver withering heat.  It likes only moderate watering once it is established.  Powdery mildew shows up as a white coating on the foliage and is mainly due to too much humidity #it is the bane of lilac and peony growers, too).  But it sounds like you have black spot, which also can be an indication of too much moisture - in both the soil and from rain/humidity.  It's important to remove the spotty leaves and clean up any leaf debris around the base of the plant.  High aphid populations can also result in something called "sooty mold," which is actually a black fungus that feeds on the aphids' sticky "honeydew" excretions.  This fungus can prevent sunlight from getting to the leaves, and thus the leaves eventually turn yellow and then brown and then they drop off altogether.  It sounds like you're doing a good job on the aphids, though you might want to try a horticultural oil, sometimes called "dormant" oil. The oil smothers both adult aphids and their larvae (usually). Apply this when the weather is not too hot - garden centers offer them and they are safe around kids and pets. I hope this has been helpful.  Keep me posted!