Could you guys show us the many different ways that you provide support? Wire, Rope, Mesh, String or twine, latice, poles, rails....??
Pictures would be nice. I keep watching the background in the pictures trying to learn what you all are using!
Thanks, Mel
How do YOU provide support for vines where there is none...?
i use dowels for some of mine.
my lattice ones are done with 2 four by fours on the end. in the middle of the back nailed to the 4x 4s is a 2 x4 for support. then i screw the lattace to them.
i use my fences for alot of things. i also have went to lowes home depot and gotten 1x2 8 ft long and and used them alone or ran them through the fence for higher support for the ones on the fence.
will see if i can get a pic today if the non stop 10 day rain will ever go away. we are starting to get flooded.
I just got my husband to go get really long pieces of rebar and bend it into arches for me so I could grow some wisteria. He hasn't put it up yet. (He's the engineer- so I'll let him figure out how to support the arch...) Unless someone has some ideas...
I put eye screws into the fence and string coated garden wire through them. And I use structural supports too like pillars. I've bought most of them at Jackson and Perkins.
Another thing I've done with a distictus is to hang a trellis from the beams of the house. Then when it starts to stick to the house I just swing out the trellis and free the vine from the house. You can see Nellie on the pillar and the trellis - which I should have painted on the left. I just started the disticitis last year so it's just beginning. Even so we've already had to lift the trellis and free the vines.
I don't know if this is what you mean but Jackmanii is climbing up a pretty unattractive bush. I've got an etoile rose started too.
I have used string wound between screws I put in the fence boards, lattice from home depot, wires, string, & that green plastic tie stuff to attach them to the eaves of my house, so-called "garden fencing" which is a roll of plastic mesh attached to fences, wrapped around poles, etc.
Just use your imagination:-)
You can use fallen tree branches for a natural affect............you can use old bamboo fishing rods or just bamboo sticks..........you can use a string tied to a tree branch.................you can use an old bench or swing................you could use an old wagon wheel or spokes of a bicycle, if you don't care what it looks like, but just need a structure. Bamboo sticks are our favorite tied into a tripod shape.
Stand verrrrrry still and don't breathe too much! Sorry, "the devil made me do it".
Thanks all! Keep em comin!
My neighbors have put up a very unattractive fence, and then a downright ugly bamboo stick one next to that! I am tempted to plant some Boston Ivy next to it, and hope that it climbs to cover it all! I also have fallen in love with Clematis, and have planted them everwhere that I think they could climb! I'm tempted to start planting next to tree trunks. ; )
Mel
Deer netting. It is easy to put up (tied, stapled, etc). It is cheap (available in 50 foot and 100 foot rolls at Walmart or Lowes). Anything will grow on it. I have it up against my brick on my house. From a short distance it is invisible and the vines can grow where they like. Here is a closeup where Lady Margaret is growing along my brick. I even wrap it around (it is made of nylon) trees to get things to grow up a tree or post. Easy to cut. Love the stuff.
THAT is what I was wondering! I have 4x4 and 6x6 cedar posts, and using twine every 6" is not that attractive... I think that deer netting would look much better, and I wouldn't have to be there to train them every other day to run under it!
Thanks!
More Pictures, Ya'll?
Rylaff- I viewed your webshots pages. Love your garden. What do you have mexican flame vine growing on? How big does it get? Does it stay green year round for you?
mel
My mexican flame is growing on deer netting in most of the areas in my garden. It is very prolific here. It does die back for me but is very quick to wake up in the spring. It gets huge. I wouldnt call it aggressive, maybe assertive?
I have taken the deer netting and done some very creative things with it, spirals, loops, and such. And it is cheap. Just cant beat it. I have it wrapped just about all the way around my house and fence. I even did a teepee looking thing with three sticks of bambo. Then I wrapped deer netting around it and I have three different vines growing up and around. Will post a pic of that once it starts blooming. I had a blackie sweet potatoe vine that I wanted to grow up some rocks toward my pond waterfall. I took a long piece of deer netting, twisted it and put it where I wanted the vine to grow. The vine followed it right up to where I wanted it. Use yoour imagination with this stuff. I have a cobeae that I wanted to grow up and cover a nandina but it just wasnt quite long enough and wouldnt co operate. I little piece of deer netting secured from here to there and the cobeae grabbed hold and off she went.
Thanks for the great ideas for supports folks...many of those things I just happen to have around the yard...looks like I am all set for more clematis!
Margie
I made 3 vine fences last year, 2 I made with long cedar poles & wire fencing.
The other I used the metal stakes & plastic fencing.
Heres one of the cedar pole fences:
This message was edited Jun 4, 2005 9:23 AM
And here is the metal stakes and plastic fencing:
