| |
CREATE YOUR OWN 'NATURAL GARDEN ART' FOR VINES
I built another arbor last week. It measures 4 ft. wide, 7 ft. long and 8 ft. high.
When a yard is fringed by the forest, the tendency of the forest is to move into the yard. Whenever I cut back encroaching trees and brush, I'm left with the dilemma of disposal. Burning requires a permit, and brush piles attract critters. It's then that the thought occurs to me, "Hey, maybe I could build something out of all these branches."
I built my latest arbor on a site on which a hastily constructed arbor stood several years ago. It blew down in a strong wind.
The new arbor should withstand a Level 3 tornado.
If you have access to branches, slender tree trunks, grapevines and other woody material, I encourage you to consider fabricating them into some type of creation that I call "natural garden art." I've built trellises, arbors, planters, planter stands, birdhouses, wreaths and other objects that defy naming and -- in a couple of cases -- a clear function.
If you want to build an arbor, my advice is to begin by selecting four sturdy corner posts. The ash trees I selected for corner posts each were approximately 9 feet long, 3 inches in diameter at the bottom, and relatively straight. An earlier arbor was constructed of young elm trunks. Most any tree species will work for garden art, although basswood tends to deteriorate more quickly than the common hardwoods.
I sunk each of the four poles in 1-foot deep holes and tamped moist soil around the poles as I filled the holes. I used a tape measure, a square and twine to create a template and to position the four corner holes squarely, and a level to ensure that the poles were set approximately vertical.
Once the four poles were stranding upright, I attached smaller branches using screws and a cordless drill. Having two drills is handy, since one can be used to pre-drill the screw holes and the other used for turning in the screws. The diameter of the branch being attached determines which length of wood screw to use. Thick branches may require a 3-inch screw, while small branches may only call for a 1-inch screw. I prefer screws as fastening devices because pounding nails causes too much stress and abuse to the fragile infrastructure. Wire or light rope can also be used as fasteners.
I built a similar arbor in another part of my back yard a half dozen years ago and it is now completely covered with a maze of vines. I planted honeysuckle vine (Lonicera sempervirens) and Engelmann Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia engelmannii), both of which have grown vigorously in the shady site. Wild grapevine and wild Virginia Creeper have also discovered the arbor, adding to the tangle.
A sunny arbor site, which I don't have, opens the door to a number of blooming vines, including clematis, trumpetvine, porcelain berry, climbing roses and bittersweet.
The plants I've mentioned are all hardy, woody vines. In a sunny site, you may choose to plant flowering annual vines such as morning glory, hyacinth bean, sweet pea or passion flower. With annuals, however, you'll have to remove the old growth each fall or spring and start again with seeds or transplants.
You don't need a pattern to create garden art. My latest arbor was patterned after the first arbor I built, which was patterned after the random thoughts that entered my head as I built it. There's no wrong way to create natural garden art. I'll wager that, if you build something, more of your neighbors will be envious of your creation than derisive.
Over the years, I've built more than a dozen trellises - both free standing and for use against a wall. Free-standing trellises can be as simple as three branches tied together at the top, teepee style, with several cross branches attached near the base. I place a container of climbing plants under this type of trellis and position it wherever I want some extra color.
I have a very healthy porcelain berry vine (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) growing on a two-dimensional trellis made of elm branches. It's on the west side of my garage and covers most of the wall. This year, it produced its first crop of beautiful blue-green berries that resemble like fancy jewelry stones. This trellis has a round form because I use long elm branches and bent them in an arc while they were still green.
If you attended Shady Acres' HerbFest in September, you may have seen the trellises that Ron Reeves, a fellow Master Gardener, and I built on-site. The trellis that received the most attention was the one we wrapped with several hundred feet of grapevine. Several visitors commented that this was a use for grapevine they'd never thought of!
Well, those are my ideas for creating naturalized garden art in your spare time. So before you burn or trash castoff wood from your yard, pause for a few minutes and ponder what one-of-a-kind masterpieces might come out of your imagination.
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
 |
| |
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
 |
 |
| |
|
