Follow P. Allen Smith’s lead and use nature’s materials to create a simple trellis for growing English peas, cucumbers, green beans or melons. Materials needed: Tree branches of varying sizes and thickness Mallet Handsaw Twine Scissors
Step-by-step instructions: 1. Gather branches from around your yard. (Thanks to an ice storm, there were plenty of Bradford Pear tree branches on hand for use in this particular project.) 2. Pick out the larger pieces—at least 18 inches tall and with a sturdy thickness—to use as stakes. If necessary, use a handsaw to trim pieces to the proper height. Set the remaining branches aside. 3. Use a mallet to drive one end of the larger stake pieces into the ground, forming a border around your plant bed. Depending on the size of your area and the length of the remaining branches you have on hand, you’ll want to place these anywhere from 18-36 inches apart. 4. Place two to three branches horizontally in between each stake. Use cut pieces of twine to attach the branches to the stakes.
ndy T ip
Ha
5. Plant your vegetables and water them. As the vines mature, use fabric or twist ties (or the twine used in this project) to train them to grow along the trellis in your desired formation. Once they attach to the structure on their own, you can remove the guiding ties. You can form these branch pieces into a variety of useful garden structures. For instance, rather than a trellis, use them to create a cone or teepee-like shape to train vines, or use them as stakes for tomato and pepper plants. Bamboo is a great choice for this type of project.
bonnieplants.com
9 | DIY Projects