It Begins with Winter Garden Planning
Now is the time that many of us are getting ready to start seeds indoors and plotting our outdoor gardens. Each year when planning, I like to go back through the years to review layouts and designs that were successful. One of the things I always reuse are vertical structures.
Benefits of Vertical Gardening
If you research vertical gardening, you will see information for DIY ideas and for purchasing vertical structures. The idea behind vertical gardening is to grow more and to save space. I definitely subscribe to these ideas in my own garden, and I like DIY in order to save money.
I have tried a few different structures over the years and found success with most of them. I've utilized cattle panels, window and door frames with both glass and chicken wire, skids, wire reels,
and hand built trellises.
I suggest researching and determining what kind of space you have and what you plan to grow. Check out companion planting as well because this will help in the overall coordination and location of things.
Garden Space is a Blank Canvas
Gardening is an art form much like any other medium that allows the artist to start with a blank canvas and create beauty from his or her imagination. Whether I'm drafting a plot on paper or rearranging my actual space, the joy that comes with the planning is immeasurable.
Each year the canvas varies slightly and has its own unique flair and design. I use different pathways and plots and location of moveable beds.
With time I've added solar light strands, hanging pots, barrels, and baskets. I try to do something a little different each year for crop rotation and soil purposes as well as for sheer fun and aesthetics.
Learn more about crop rotation here.
Each year and season I learn a bit more than I knew before. I use that newfound knowledge for future planning and adjusting - but more often than not, I feel that I'm just winging' it as I go.
Excellent Climbers
Grapes
Grapes are excellent climbers and are meant to be trained on a trellis. The thin delicate shoots of a grape vine naturally curl around structures, and the thicker canes can be trained to climb in various directions using velcro garden ties. These ties are great because they can be adjusted with growth and redirected if needed.
Added Flare
For a little extra decor and fun, I added a birdcage and macrame plant hanger to the front grape trellis.
Corn, Sunflowers, and Raspberries
This is not the typical trio you think of when you think of corn and companion planting. And you don't necessarily think of corn and sunflowers as climbers. Well, they're not, but the cattle panel sides hold them in line nicely without taking up too much of the structure. It allows for beans or other companions to grow up the structure while the corn and sunflowers stay in place. The thick stalks of the sunflowers and corn stalks often act as additional supports for some larger climbing plants.
I planted Glass Gem Corn Seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds for the first time last year. I would have been more successful if birds hadn't gotten to them. The ones I did salvage were gorgeous. If I do them again, I will add a scarecrow.
Gourds
A surprising climber turned out to be gourds. It was likely just surprising to me when I first discovered it accidentally. A couple years ago I had some rogue pumpkin seeds scale the cattle panels of the chicken run. I was amazed at how they just climbed way up there and flourished.
So last year I decided to increase my fall harvest. I grew an assortment of gourd mix seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom including some I knew I could dry out for crafts.
It was successful, but if I did it again, I believe I would plant more at a time.
Pumpkins
Birdhouse Gourds
The gourd birdhouse seeds were some of my favorite to watch grow this past season. They grew straight up the trellis supports and developed dainty white flowers. The newest trellis was built from scrap wood we salvaged. I added more light strands, and when the gourds grew across the top, it looked pretty with the lights. I first put a netting across the top worried that the gourds would fall down through.
However, I discovered that it was stifling their growth as they couldn't drop down through the trellis and take shape. I had to cut openings in the netting.
If I grow them again, I would not necessarily use the netting, but I might add more rails on the trellis.
Goals of Crafting
I am most excited about drying them out this winter and crafting with them this summer. I'm gathering ideas and looking forward to the process even though it will be quite an undertaking. I look forward to sharing my adventures in crafting with gourds.
Chicken Nesting Place
Not exactly a planned use for my cattle panels, but more than a chicken or two have found it to be a safe and fun nesting place.
It actually turned out to be a literal life safe haven for some of my girls during a fox attack. The attack took six of my girls and my rooster, but the others were saved by flying up into the pumpkins and other vertical garden structures.
Marigolds and Nasturtium
While used for ground cover, pest control, and companion planting, Marigolds and Nasturtium are often considered gold in a garden.
Marigolds attract beneficial insects that attack the harmful insects in the garden.
Nasturtium is a great pollinator, and it attracts aphids and squash bugs away from tomatoes and squash. It can also be eaten, which many people don't know. Check out ways to eat it here.
In addition it can be used as a healing agent. Learn more here.
This link provides more information on growing Marigolds and Nasturtium in your garden.
Cucumbers
I have seen cucumbers grown vertically before, but I had never tried it myself. Thinking they wouldn't grow straight upwards, I used old windows and scraps of cattle panel with chicken wire on an angle to grow them.
The cucumbers and companion plants overtook the windows and panels, so if I do it again, I might use a larger lean-to or add more beds for cucumbers.
Beans
Beans are of the easiest and most fun climbers to harvest in the garden. They live for climbing, and it makes it much easier for picking them.
Black Raspberries
With the gathered scrap wood, we made standing trellises which worked for the black raspberries. They can often get out of control and become a danger when walking through the garden. I used the velcro ties to attach the canes to the trellis.
Clematis
Clematis is a flowering vine that compliments many gardens, patios, and decks. I have a few around the yard as accents, and some in the garden.
The Finished Artwork
Like a finished piece of artwork, seeing everything growing together in harmony and covering the blank pallet is such an amazing feeling. This space becomes my place of peace and sanguine when life gets challenging. It is a place of nourishment for my mind, soul, and body.
Lessons Learned
Throughout this post, I've included a few things I have learned and would do differently. One of the biggest things I learned when using vertical growing, and cattle panels in particular, is to better protect certain vegetables that come in direct contact with the fencing. The pumpkins had a much softer exterior than I anticipated. When they grew against the fence, they immediately received an impression which damaged the exterior.
If I didn't catch them in time, some would grow around the fence destroying their shape.
Even though it was a mistake, this particular ruination was my favorite because it looks like it has googly monster eyes. It also looks a bit like a spider.
Garden Art
Making art for the garden combines two of my favorite things: gardening and crafting. Here is one example of garden jewelry I made for my trellis. I look forward to making and sharing more ideas for garden art.
I can't wait to start designing my blank canvas for this year's garden. I'd love to see your vertical gardening successes and ideas.
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