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In My Garden Blog

March 1, 2007
Middle South
By Suzanne DeJohn,
Candler, NC

A trellis covered in morning glories brightens up an old shed.

Garden in Three Dimensions with Trellises

Before you begin planting your garden, put on your 3-D glasses. Instead of imagining your garden as a flat canvas, look at it as a three-dimensional space. Picture plants growing up -- on trellises, fencing, tepees, arches, and arbors. How does it look? There are a number of reasons, both aesthetic and practical, for growing plants on vertical structures.

Aesthetics
Maybe you're bored with flat beds of pansies flanking your front door. Picture an arched trellis covered with colorful morning glories to welcome visitors. Does your landscape need some some pizzazz? A rose-covered arbor and comfortable bench will transform it. Strategically placed, plant-covered trellises can shield you from a busy road and provide a bit of privacy. A vine-laden fence can block unsightly views.

Other Benefits
Growing plants on vertical structures has other benefits, too. Gardenens with small spaces can maximize the use of that space by growing vining plants on trellises. Left sprawling on the ground, one cucumber plant can take up 15 square feet or more. Grow your cukes on a trellis, and you can have 4 plants in that same amount of space. Disease problems are minimized because plants receive better air circulation. Harvesting is easy and crops stay cleaner because they are suspended above the soil surface.

Use vines to shade a south-facing porch to make it comfortable even in the heat of summer. Likewise, vines growing up the south side of a building can help keep the interior of the house a little cooler.

Trellises in the Vegetable Garden
Many vegetable crops thrive when trained to a trellis. Vining plants, such as peas, cucumbers, pole beans, and summer squash are good candidates. Melons can be trained to a trellis, but you'll have to support developing fruit so its weight doesn't tear the vine or cause the whole setup to topple. Many vegetables are available in both "bush" types and "vining" types. Bush varieties remain relatively small, so for your vertical garden, choose vining or climbing types. For tomatoes, look for indeterminate, as opposed to determinate, varieties.

Flowering Vines
Before purchasing plants, evaluate the growing conditions at the site. Most flowering vines require full sun and rich, well-drained soil. Should you choose annual or perennial vines? Annual vines die at the end of the growing season, so you can change the "decor" every year. Although they may reach flowering stage later than some types of established perennials, once they begin to flower they usually continue to do so until frost.

Perennial vines may take a year or two to get established. Once they do, they usually have a distinct flowering period that may last several weeks to a month. Aside from annual pruning, perennial vines are usually relatively low maintenance -- and you don't need to replant each spring. Perennial vines that turn woody, such as wisteria, will need very sturdy supports. If you are using a trellis for privacy, look for perennial evergreen vines.

Roses
If you are looking for roses to adorn a trellis, choose varieties described as "climbers" or "pillars." These produce especially long canes that can be trained to a trellis. Canes that run horizontal produce more flowers than upright canes -- meaning that the arched top of your arbor will have more flowers than the vertical sides. Remember that roses have thorns! Avoid using them in places where passersby can inadvertantly brush against them. They're probably not the best choice for flanking a front door (unless you're trying to send a message to visitors). Most roses have a distinct bloom period that lasts for several weeks. Some types will continue to flower, albeit less abundantly, until the end of the growing season.

Know Your Vines
Not all vines can climb all structures, so it's important to match the plant to the support. For example, pole beans climb by twining around a support. Clematis use elogated leaf stalks to anchor themselves. Sweet peas climb by wrapping their tendrils around a support. Climbing roses don't really climb; rather, they form long canes that must be tied to supports. Many ivies climb by attached themselves with little adhesive disks.

Twiners can wrap around almost anything, but ideally a structure will have slats less than two inches across. You may need to help the vine find the support by tying it loosely to get it started. Plants that climb with tendrils climb best on trellises with narrower slats. If your vine has trouble climbing, install mesh netting over the slats. It will be nearly invisible, and give the vine a good foothold.

I was chuckling at your use of Morning Glories on the trellis.  In
NC MGs are usually looked at like weeds!  I am from New England, and
I just love the Glory of the Morning flowers!  However, I would be
scared to plant them in my Winston Salem garden! Whatever would my
neighbors think??

It's your flower garden. Who cares what anyone thinks. If you enjoy
it, plant it. Period.

So true! They are invasive with the right soil, but if you like them
as much as I do, use them. If they crop up in your neighbors yard
unwanted, take that time for some free plants to start. I love to
"weed" my neighbors front  yard of her pesky vines. They don't grow
naturally in my yard but I get free plants to pot and grow where I
want.
And I have happier neighbors.

I'm so new at gardening! Personally I'm older than dirt, but totally
a "newbee" in gardening.  Last year I tried to grow vines on some
wrought iron trellises on my back porch.  Everything died as soon as
it started to wrap around.  Are plants "allergic" to wrought iron? 
Also, my yard has "labrador paths" from one end to the other, is
there a way to bring this earth back to life?  (The "girls" are
steering in new directions lately, hole diggging is the latest fad.)
 Recent widow, kind of at a loss.

To: "Newbee"

Hello fellow gardener!  I am newish at gardening too! I hope you
agree that it is one of the most rewarding things a person can do
for themselves.  Now, I have a suggestion for your doggie tracks-if
they are anything like the tracks my Pappaw's cattle leave around
the farm-disregard-but, if they are few and far between, could you
landscape/garden around them?  They could become unique pathways
through a new flower garden.  The idea popped in my head and I
thought I'd share it!  

What perennial evergreen vines would you suggest for zone 5?

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