Dan's Papers - May 23, 2008 - Earthly Delights by April Gonzales

Trellises built to support vines can be made of many things. Whether they are wooden lattice or pergolas that are a built into part of the architecture, arbors that are flanked by gates, or separate elements that are freestanding in the garden like tuteurs, they provide the support for plants that usually grow through other plants in nature.

The Lillikoi, a typical vine, is native to Hawaii. It grows up through the trees and the intensely fragrant fruit dangles down, some times within arm's reach. Clematis paniculata grows up through hedges, as does honeysuckle, reaching for the sun through the growth of the plants they are using as a support. This fragrant fall bloomer can also be used as a ground cover but most vines like to climb, so trellises are necessary.

Many come ready made and are easily available from Smith and Hawkins, Achla Designs or Trellis and Trugs. There are many different styles and materials, and some are better suited for the more delicate climbers. Roses and wysteria will need something substantial. The weight of roses on bloom can topple a lightweight structure that is not fully anchored, and wisteria can take apart the building or the arbor if it is not built strongly enough.

Iron trellises come in any number of shapes. Tripods and tuteurs or towers are common forms that usual have a finial on the top and hoops to keep them separated and stable. Mandevilla, Akebia, Thunbergia - they can all twine their way up to the top over the course of the summer with a little training. The heavy iron trellis versions can be used for the stronger vines, and old iron gates can be reconstituted as separate garden elements.

Recently, on modern architecture, stainless steel cables have been used to create vertical walls or columns of vines. Morning glories do particularly well with this as does Dutchman's pipe since they are both such rampant growers. A heavy duty eye bolt is screwed into or sunk into the wall of a building at the bottom and at the top. The cable is then strung between them to create a very long lasting strong trellis system.

Copper piping can also be used and there are several suppliers on the web that can create custom arbors as well as their usual offerings. Sycamore Creek has arbors of varying widths and shapes. This company also makes flat trellising for pots and larger versions to attach to walls. The Leuthardt family used copper pipe to create a round pergola that has espaliered apples trained over it. Once the apples reach the desired height, caliper and shape, the copper will be removed. The color of the copper tarnishes in a pleasing way and like the other metals it will last a long time.

Wooden trellising can be beautiful, but requires care unless you use the new composite types which look exactly like wood but are really resin. Walpole Woodworkers has numerous types of wall mounted and freestanding lattice. These are more traditional looking and are often used in combination with fencing. They can also custom make any designs you provide.

But for the more adventurous there are many more things that trellises and arbors can be made from. In a hurry there is the old standby the bamboo teepee. Just put several bamboo poles together and tie the ends together leaving about 3" sticking up and voila, spread the base and you can make a real teepee out of pole beans or hyacinth bean flowers. They will both grow upwards of ten feet, so start out with really tall bamboo so that the ends can be shoved firmly into the ground.

Roses make a great trellis for clematis if you are not too worried about leaf diseases, or to cover them up! Wysteria can make a strong trellis for climbing roses, as the plants bloom at different times. These types of combinations work very well together in tight spaces.

Jill Nooney of Jackson, New Hampshire is well known for her garden creations made out of found objects. One arbor is made from old tractor parts and is crested with whimsical birds. Another is made of old brass fire extinguishers and trowels. There is no end to her imagination. The screen that she made for the Boston flower show this year of grasses blowing in the wind was exquisite. So much so that covering it with a vine would be a shame ,as it was a piece of artwork in itself.

Get ready, set, plant your annuals! Use a good rooting hormone, a kelp based liquid fertilizer is best, to get these new plants settled in. Neptune's Harvest makes a blend of fish emulsion and kelp that keeps transplant shock at bay and helps the greenhouse material to adjust to its new environment.

For more than 20 years, April Gonzales has been involved in garden design, installation and maintenance on the East End, as well as specimen plant scouting and site supervision for landscape architects.