I would love to "grow" a fort from vines for my kids this year. I dont really know how to do it... short of pole and chicken wire or twine. Anyone done it, have ideas or picture?!? Pictures would be great? Thanks for any help and advice in advance. Krista
Kids playhouse using vines...
There are lots of great uses for willow in the way of "living willow structures". Here are some links:
http://irishcraftworker.typepad.com/an_irish_craftworkers_goo/2006/12/living_willow_h.html
http://www.bluestem.ca/willow-sculpture.htm
Sorry, this isn't with vines.
This message was edited Apr 5, 2007 6:50 PM
Here is an old photo of a family that did just that with morning glories.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkmahler/190032262/
Not a vine playhouse, but here is a link to growing a sunflower house.
http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/feature/ff0506-sunflower-digs/
Here you go.
I think I might try this for my boys. They would love it!
http://www.lowescreativeideas.com/0407/teepee.asp
Thank you very much for the above links -I have just been enthusiastically reading how to make a sunflower house in the Family fun site -thanks Wgnkiwi ,and have marked the site ....It is the wrong time of year for us now ,but will keep a spot to grow next spring (6x6 feet )
Emelle
Thank you eveyone for your posts. These are great ideas. And for anyone else who has done this or has pictures.... Feel free to add!! :)
Emelle - I'd love to grow a sunflower house for my kids but just don't have enough room. But from the photo's I've seen of your place you've got tons of it :-)
I'm doing the t-pee this year for my boys. I have the bamboo poles I need and have wanted to do this for a few years now.. This is the year.
:)
Susan
When My kids were smaller I made them a series of tunnels through my garden.
I drove in stakes and bent wire between them hoop style. It worked out really well and the kids loved it. I have better photos somewhere but this one from early in the season was all I could find on short notice. I covered them with squash, pumpkins cukes, etc.
early_bloomer
Here's a closer view of one of the kids standing beside one of the tunnels. (still not too good) By the end of the summer it was like a jungle and you could not even tell where the kids were anymore.
early_bloomer
This message was edited Apr 8, 2007 1:34 PM
I'd love to know how you did that.. I don't understand the tunnels?? if the vines were touching the floor and they were able to cross over them, wouldn't the vines break? My kids couldn't help themselves and they did break some watermelon vines when they crossed over to see them and stepped on them.. which was pretty hard not to..
:)
Susan
Here's a quick drawing. I put down that black weed barrier cloth inside the tunnels. When the vines were growing over the tunnel I crawled through it every few days and threaded them back out through the wire so there were no vines growing inside. I used green vinyl coated fencing to construct the tunnels and stapled them to the stakes.
Hope this helps.
early_bloomer
ohhhhhhhhhhh wow.. How cool is that!!?? :)
Thanks
Susan
beth those family photos are priceless...can i adopt you as my family instead of my wicked stepsister family i have? they look so vintage and precious...do you sell them?
Sorry, it wasn't my family! It was just a photo I found on Flickr! The neighborhood kids did have a huge empty lot full of morning glories, complete with caves and passageways when I was a kid, though. I loved playing there. I just wish I had taken photos.
Early bloomer, will you be my mom?
lol
Pagancat.........I'm afraid I'd have to be your Daddy!
early_bloomer
Aaaw.. that's such a beautiful thing. (Pagan, She's a MAN, Baby!)
What a great Dad :)
My granddaughter is really looking forward to when the cattle panel arches are covered with the gourd vines. Okay, okay, okay, so am I! (Still a fairy princess at 54...)
ohhhhhhhhh.. How tall are your cattle panels off the ground? Sounds like a great idea. :)
Susan
Ooops, sorry early bloomer - we just have *so* many females here, unless there's a hint in the name it's easy to assume. My apologies! I was told once (on DG) that I was a true gentleman - one of the nicer things I've been called >grin< , whether testosterone deficient or not....
I'd ask you to be my daddy, but in these times, that could *really* be misinterpreted.
I think these ideas are just great.... thinking of how I could modify them for "big kids".... wonder if loofah vines will grow here, I sure have enough seeds....
I have the panels to where they're probably about 6' at the peak -- I'm 5'5" and can easily go under there. I'm going to insert a picture, but I'm not sure whether you can see them since the gourd plants are only about 4" tall. Look toward the corner of the fence and you may be able to make it out.
Edited to say, yeah, you can see it way back there. That's one of those W/M green plastic umbrella tables under it.
This message was edited Apr 11, 2007 11:07 AM
So, they turned out to not be willow >chuckle
pagancat, I'd bet loofah will grow fine there. You can't find the seeds at most stores, though, you know, in those racks. I ordered some either from Horizon Herbs or Johnny's Seeds. I planted them several days ago and they're not showing yet, but I still hold out hope. I ran into a lady at Hobby Lobby who said she planted them and they're everywhere.
Oh, you mean the arbor in the herb garden? No, not willow. As soon as my weeping willow out front needs pruning (and that will likely be in about 10 years!) I plan to plant some kind of living structure from it. Those are SO cool!
I really like your design ,and it gives me an idea for growing our favourite Scarlet runner beans over a frame like yours next summer -the children will love it !
Emelle
Thanks! If you're talking about the cattle panels, they're really easy to bend into shape. If you're talking about the arbor, I got saplings from the side of the road, attached them to 36" stakes, and bent them around and fastened them to each other with zipties (those little plastic things electricians bundle cables with). I do plan to replace them with twine for aesthetic purposes, but those zipties sure work well.
Here is my cattle panel hideaway. The grapes should be fuller this summer.
Thank you for the picture to explain it - I have never heard of 'cattle panels ' .I do wish they were available here ,as they are a brilliant way of building framework ,(a woman could probably do it ) and using space in an efficient way ..I have put your picture in my folder to show Smiley .
Emelle
PS -I love your inviting seat !
Emele
Love that cattle panel!! i might use it.. I'm already going to do this cattle panel somewhere...
http://homepage.mac.com/lemec/Garden/PhotoAlbum133.html
Susan
Ooo - hope my peonies are gonna look like the ones on that page, Susan I didn't even know I had some (bought this place in late summer/ early fall) - nice surprise!
soulgarden...is that your home? what a paradise:)
I have peonies I thought I'd killed for them not liking to be moved and they wilted away mid-season, but they are making a strong comeback to my surprise.
I do have my own paradise I am creating here, but that one is not mine. you can click on the links at the top to see more of the garden and the gardeners. I do plan on making a fence similar to theirs through.. On the edge of my property for roses.
:)
Susan
Would love to see pics, Susan.....(hint, hint...)
Emelle, I bet you can find cattle panels there. Print out a picture and take it to any hardware store, lumber store, feed store -- anywhere that may sell anything for fencing or livestock.
And thank you, a woman DID put it up! (me -- 54 yoa, bad back, bad knee, and all!) You just need some stakes to keep it in. I used those fat plastic tent stakes.
Beth, I hope my vines start getting like yours soon. I love it with that bench in there!!!
Hello
I followed the referral stats from my blog back to here, I'm delighted to see somebody linked to our willow house at the top of this string of posts. Since that photo it has burst into leaf and is closing over the gaps nicely, making a fantastic green dome for the kids to play in, with a tunnel leading into it from each end. I intend to plant sweet pea up and over the entrance arches soon.
All the best, Rebecca from www.irishcraftworker.typepad.com
