Advice on structures for clems

Have any of you purchased this type of 6 ft. wooden pyramid trellis for your clems? This one was originally $70 at Lowes, marked down to $55 and now $39. I found out they have been there 3 yrs, however.
I really like these, but not sure how well they will hold up, whether to paint them first, and how many clems they will hold. I'm thinking maybe 3 clems. I'm also not sure where I would put them. I'm planning to give the front of the house a facelift maybe in the fall and not sure if these would look right there. It's also the west side and I don't know if clems will survive there in the afternoon heat.
Jeanne, have you grown clems where they get sun all afternoon until sunset with temps as hot as they have been this summer for us?
I'm waiting for them to mark them down again and considering whether or not to buy 2 or 3 of them for future clems. Any advice?

I saw them too and was wondering the same.

Earlier this season I bought 3 from Lowe's that were the black coated, pyramid metal ones with the bird on top. Have you seen those at your Lowe's as well? They are about $22 or 24 each and I like them. They've worked out very well. There is something I like about the heavier wooden ones, but I'm not sure how many years they would look good. Maybe someone who has one will give us some feedback. Can you tell I'm trying to talk myself out of buying them?

Here is another option...there are some interesting structures eg:maypoles, at this site which also has free shipping for a limited time
http://www.leevalley.com/
I am thinking about it
I also bought those bird obelisks. They seemed very sturdy esp for the price. Still not sure about wood structures.. anyone with wood trellis that have lasted a long time?

I've seen those at Lowes too. They are nice, but many of the clematis will have trouble grabbing onto the thick wood. I have three structures make from wood lattice.The slats of the lattice are the same size slats as the used for the obelisks. I have to weave the vines in and out as the petioles can't grab onto the slats well.

That's a good point, Julia. That's the kind of feedback I was waiting to hear. Thank you.

Debbie said one of the easiest ways to show off clematis and cheapest is to get a 4x4 post - however I used a landscape timber, put it 18 inches in the ground and pounded the earth around it. No cement needed. Get chicken wire and loosely wrap around the pole so it sticks out in places and staple it to the post. You can get great height and cheap. She does this with a great deal of her clematis. It's a space saver and lasts forever.

On some posts I cut the wire by the length and wrapped it loosely. On another where I have 2 clems, one on each side, I put the wire up and over the post giving about 2 feet on top that adds height and came down the other side. I used wire to tie sides together in spots so it's 3 ft wide and about 10 or 12 ft tall. The Clematis love the chicken wire and it's easy, cheap, and works great in small areas to get height.

sharkey, i will take a photo this weekend when i get back to the garden and show you the lever loop on the diversafolia on these structures . they held really well all season, the diversafolias like the spread i could get on the structure. i like them for non clinging clems. the lever loops held well. i also grew elsa spath and a new blue angel on them. among others too young to be demanding.

that said, having seen debbie's poles etc in person, they look great and a re very functional, classy look ing and decorative.

stuctures are usually always a compromise for me and i am always re thinking them and looking for something else!

Yes, I'd love to see a pic. I'm in the process now of repairing and re-painting those that I bought at such a good bargain. Lowe's wanted to get rid of them as they had been there 3 yrs, so I got them for $20.

Someone told me it looked like an oil field out back with all of those structures. Once they are covered with blooms, they are going to be very envious.

Debbie told me that she sometimes puts bird houses on top of those timbers. I love my hummers, but not sure I want to attract any more birds than we already have because I understand they like to eat blueberries and I have12 plants out back.

I bought two a couple of years ago. Discounted to $20 each. Even at $20 I didn't think they were worth it. They fell apart. With a lot of aggravation and with DH's help we nailed them back together. I do have an autumn clematis growing on one now and it is so happy. So if you want to spend the time reinforcing them then go for it.

agree, they are not that well built. mine were not so damaged that we reinforced them. i feel that they are worth the 20.

After reading what I wrote, yes, worth the $20. I guess I was still thinking of the aggravation we had nailing them back together.

hope no one reading paid full price. i got mine end of last season and a year later still think i got good value for the low price. at full price, uuuuummmmmm. probably not many sold at full price, illustrated by the fact all of us for the last 12 months have gotten them at rock bottom price!

My husband built this obelisk for me in 1995. It's all sturdy wood and was bolted to a wooden platform. Last year we could see it was rotting and this year it finally had to be replaced. So I'd say a similarly built pyramid should last 13 years.

Pirl, lovely photo! What is that white flower to the left of the clems?

Peony Festiva Maxima, Evey. Thanks! The new obelisk was built by a local carpenter and isn't as nice. I'm hoping the clematises will cover the part I don't like.

I'm glad to know the wooden ones can last so long. I am thinking of using wooden ones in the front yard. We've got all wrought iron in the back and side yards, but we're going with the stained glass and wood for the accent fence, so I thought perhaps painted wood would look better for the ones out front.

Were the wooden ones your husband built have stain/protective coat

Pirl, what a beautiful photo. Which clem is that and how old is it?
BG, can we grow peonies in our climate? I love them, but have never tried.

As far as the structure, the wood is not good sturdy wood, so don't know how long they will last, but I like the looks of them. It was no trouble for me to take the Black n Decker drill and put more screws in them and reinforce them. Actually, I had fun using the drill. I've also spray painted a couple. (maybe I should have used stain, but it was easier to use a spray can) If they rot in a couple of yrs, I feel I would have gotten my $20 worth.

Can I assume it's best to plant on the outside of it rather than in the middle for pruning purposes? Are you using peonies to shade the roots of the clems? So pretty!

Thanks to all.

It had a primer coat and two more coats of paint. He only made one of them (that was enough for him!). I believe it was cedar.

I'd agree that it's worth the investment of time to reinforce it if you have any doubts about the strength of the structure.

I don't know anything about growing peonies in Florida and the peonies were planted there at the start of that garden (also 1995) and weren't planted to shade the roots of the Ramona clematis, Blue Moon and Dr. Ruppel but it worked out well. Do not plant on the inside! You'll have problems pruning. I used clear vinyl mesh, about 4" square, to start the clematis growing upward and then they did the rest on their own.

Here's the new one with the top I don't like at all.

Pirl your obelisk and clematis are beautiful!

Thanks, Bonnie. I'm hoping the new one will get covered fast next year.

Here's a photo at the height of summer with the lacecaps in bloom on the left and daylilies on the right. Sedums and azalea 'Hilda Niblett' are in front, tall bearded irises to the left.

If y'all want to get a longer life from your outdoor wooden structures, try topping with spar varnish. This is the varnish that is used for boats and it will last a VERY long time. That's how we treated our wooden pews when we put them outdoors. They've gone 30 years... but now they are definitely showing their age. You can put spar varnish right over whatever paint you want to use or on the bare wood.

Sharkey, I don't think peonies will hold up for us (but I'm going to check and see!). I thnk they would go the way of most columbines... short-lived annuals for springtime only. There are so many plants that I see in photos of the northern gardens that I lust for but know I can never grow. When my sister-in-law visited from Ohio, she looked around and exclaimed, "Oh, EVERYTHING grows here!" Ahhhh, if only that were true! =P

Evey, I've found that if I spray my columbines when I spray my roses (Honor Guard and Manzate) I can get them to last here for a few years. It's the %@! mildew that gets them when I forget.
Since you're in the same zone and have the same high humidity it might help yours stick around a little longer too.



*Edited to add: Apologies for the hijack Sharkey!

This message was edited Aug 13, 2009 10:56 PM

Pirl, gorgeous photo. It looks like an entirely different environment from what I'm used to. I don't even recognize the trees.
I recently bought a small arbor from Big Lots and treated it with Thomson's Water Seal. Do you think I still need to put the spar varnish on it? That's a great idea. I should treat all of my wooden trellises from now on. Do you have to visit a boating supply store or would Walmart or Lowe's carry this?
That's perfectly okay, Diana. We were typing at the same time.

This message was edited Aug 13, 2009 10:05 PM

Pirl, you'd never see lacecap hydrangeas in a full sun location here in Louisiana. I grow them, but they require almost full shade here due to the heat. They bloom beautifully all summer in shade, but my neighbor has struggled with hers in partial sun. She has to water them daily just to keep them alive!!! The water required to keep the hydrangea alive in the sun would rot out the iris rhizomes in no time at all. Whenever I see the beautiful mixed planting that y'all can do up north, I turn so green with envy!!! =P

Sharkey, all of the charts and info I've found show most peony cultivars topping out at Zone 8, with a warning to plant them in shade in the warmer climates. Some of the cultivars only go to Zone 6. There's a huge difference between our Zone 8 and say an Oregon Zone 8 (they really need to expand the Zone assignments!). Peonies need rest to perform, at night and in the winter. Since we don't get cool at night, I don't think they'd get the rest they need to thrive. =(

Thanks for all the compliments.

Here many columbines get leaf miner disease so I cut them back to the ground and they rebound.

Peonies do want their rest period and supposedly won't thrive without the cold spell.

The hydrangeas should be in partial shade even up here, on the frozen tundra, Evey, but they were planted when I was young and foolish. No other excuse needed.

I'll try the spar varnish this time, Evey. Thanks for the tip.

sharkey, ALWAYS plant on outside of structure. with these it is hard to get inside and pull weeds let alone prune, feed etc. years ago when i planted inside a structure, always came to regret it.

i have two clems on each one , diversafolias i like best on them. but other have been fine on them.

Here's the peony and a long view of the obelisk garden.

Here you can see where the actual rot began:

BG, I was afraid that would be the case with the peonies. However, I've always loved them. When you think about it, clems also want the cold dormant period in the winter. Right? But I guess the difference is that we don't have cool nights during the summer.

Will definitely plant on the outside, probably two clems, maybe three depending on the variety.

Sharkey, there are some clems that require cold to bloom correctly and some that don't. That's why I researched which clems would do well in the heat... so that I wouldn't put in the effort for a plant that would never perform! Same holds true for bearded irises. I've actually found some that made it through our first year, but the test will come with the second year to see which continue for me.

blissful, i agree about second and even third year being the points you can really say how a clem performs. there is a youth factor with a new clem, a stored energy factor as well. and the effects on the subsequent years of a clem from hard multiple bloom periods (up to 3 i understand but not sure if the third one is forced from pruning and feeding or just happens) are not well documented, at least that i have seen. there are incidental informations and photos but no real data at year 3, 4, 5, 6 in a warmer climate of certain groups of clems that are not frequently grown in the warmer zone.
however, there is documented evidence about how atragenes may perform down there (they don't) or how montanas may perform up here (they don't)

this is so interesting, what you and sharkey are doing with rapid collecting and record keeping. love it.

CG, I'm laughing right now thinking about the term "rapid collecting." That sounds a lot better then "addiction." I should have used that term in answering the other thread about how many purchases I have made this year.
Yes, I'm looking forward to comparing notes with Blissful during the next couple of yrs as to which varieties have done well in our climate. I only hope I am as successful with my roses as she has been.

Oh, that reminds me! I've got to answer your dmail. =)

Sharkey, I've been growing roses a long time... new to this house, but we grew them for many years at a previous house. Three things have made it so much easier this time around:

(1) I no longer have to buy roses on Dr. Huey rootstock (I buy Fortuniana or own root)
(2) There are so many more gardening aids available now (chems, soil amendments, soil testing, etc.)
(3) There are so many other gardeners willing to share their knowledge that I can access online

My first few years growing them (almost 30 years ago) were much more of a challenge here. Now they're a joy. It's great we have so many common gardening interests and can share our experiences with each other! Now, you just need to get hit by the daylily and iris bugs and we'll be twins! =P

Well, I tried daylilies about 20 yrs ago and it just didn't work out. I gave them to my sis or my husband kept mowing them down along with the amaryllas (sp?) I bought some purple bearded iris bulbs when they went on sale at end of season this yr, but I think they have dried up. Never planted them.

I think I'm just going to concentrate on clems, my best performing perennials, and my favorite annuals, scaevola and cuphea (sp). Oh, and my few roses. I also grow hot peppers for my special sauce.

sharkey, special sauce? tell us more

I just saw the supports at our lowes today and they are marked down to $13.00 so when I get back from holiday, I might just purchase two of them for a trio of clems to climb on.

Janet

A trio, at varying heights, would be beautiful.