Garden Arbors and Trellises

Simple bamboo tripod trellis

In recent posts we have featured some of our bamboo trellises built to support tomatoes and other kinds of vines.   We have permanent trellises made from galvanized pipes, and others made from pvc tubing with coated wire covers.  They all serve to support roaming plants and keep them off the ground away from disease organisms and crawling pests   

We have quite a few other arbors and trellises in the garden which support a variety of plants and provide interest when walking through the garden. There are three spanning our largest raised beds. Constructed from welded wire cattle panels, they are affixed to the ends of adjoining beds to create three arched entrances to the garden.

Tomatoes span this welded wire arch
between beds

One of these arched arbors is an ideal support this season for the voluminous tomato vines in the adjoining bed and another supports beans of various types. Cucumbers climbed one of the arches earlier in the season.  In small beds such structures provide additional growing space for plants that would otherwise wander into pathways. 

Elsewhere in the garden we have a large wooden arbor which in the past has supported a kiwi vine, now deceased. It holds loofah plants and chayote vines as well as scarlet runner beans this season. 

Loofah vines now cover this arbor

In the back of the garden we have an arbor leading into the forest garden which is a prefab construction. It has been the host this spring of bitter melon and cumelon, and now hosts more loofah. 

And finally at the back of the garden a new trellis is being constructed from found materials to hold a perennial chayote. Designed by Peggy McDonald and Mike Dugger, when completed it will provide support for the heavy crop of squash relatives produced by our vines. It also provides a focus which will draw visitors into the edible forest garden at the back of the VegHeadz area.

Peggy adds crossbars to what will be a strong support for a 
heavy chayote crop.