DIY Bamboo Trellis and a cute boy (but he's mine so you can't have him!)

Since it took Spring soooooo long to get here I have been a mad women outside while the weather is awe-some, cuz' in Pittsburgh you never know when it might decide to Indian give and take it right back to the Ice Ages.

A few weeks ago I showed you how we installed 22 7' trees in 4 hours. Yes, they asked us to star in the next Avengers movie cuz' we are super human like that. However this was before they saw what I look like in spandex. Speaking of spandex, (were we?) it is about time we had some movies that focused on what Wonder Woman looks after birthing 3 babies, breast-feeding 3 babies and the costume no longer has enough starch in it to hold up the knockers where they once were! Okay, sorry about that. We super woman who hold it together everyday (that means you!!!) need to have a realistic comic strip character represent!

Okay off my tangent, now that the trees are in:

the bed in front needed some serious color and style.

I picked up two larger Azaleas and a Scotch Broom  called moonlight at the Home Depot and then divided some Columbines and Lilly Tuft that I had laying around.

Looking much more stylish and complete! This went a bit too linear for me so I am going to have to add some annuals in a willy, nilly line to make it fit my personality a bit more.

Then I got to trying to fix my lack of a trellis for my poor Wisteria vine that has been getting knocked because it is growing crooked and the gate keeps lopping of the top every time the kid close it.

I wanted an old wooden ladder. I tried spied them on the trash at  three different times and three  different times I was unsuccessful in getting them to fit in my car. Every time I went back there were gone. I guess there is an epidemic of people wanting old wooden ladders.

So I decided until I can find one that fits, I had better do something to help out the little guy. After all I do want it to survive so that when I get my eventual pergola along the top of my garage, there will be something to grow on it!

So for $2.00, this is what I came up with:

You will need:

6' bamboo stakes

twist ties

twine

garden pruning shears

.......and about 20 minutes!

See how the poor gal is leaning! And this isn't even correct because she is now propped up by one of the stakes. I constructed my trellis in place so I could better visual where I needed to place my cross bars. But you might want to do it on the ground and then place it.

First things first, place two stakes on either side of your vine.

Then cut another stake to about 6 inches wider than the width of the side stakes. I cut 4 cross bars out of one more 6' stake.

Place your first cross bar and take your twist tie and starting from the back wrap it around and across the juncture.

Mine looked something like this. But while the twist ties are functional, this ain't so pretty.

Here's where your twine comes in. Cut your twine about 20" long and starting from the back again...

bring your ends forward and then criss-cross in front.....

and then in back..... keep doing this until the green is covered and you have about 6" left of your ends.

Then bring the ends over the top from the back and do not criss-cross, go under the same side and tie in in the back several times. When you are doing this, pull the twine tightly and it will give much more strength to the intersection.

I also added an "X" at the bottom for some stability as well.

Finally, take some more twine and attach your little vines to your trellis so they behave and decide to grow upright and not half-cocked!

I probably should have had a trellis growing up......

and speaking of growing up....

My baby boy had his first formal this Friday. Hard to believe....

Channeling Frank Sinatra

He has my heart

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!