Sunday, February 22, 2009

ATTACHING VINES TO YOUR HOUSE

Gertrude Jekyll, Englishwoman & world's 1st landscape designer, said, When I design a landscape the first thing I consider is what to put on the house. Fascinating. College degree, uncountable lectures attended and not one person ever, ever, mentioned what to put on a house. I design with vines and espaliered woody shrubs on homes.

You can vaguely see the wires on the house, below. Vines with outward growth add a dimension of lushness & softness.
In winter, the wires are barely visible. Entirely cloaked in summer.

Run galvanized wire in horizontal lines 2' apart.
I use masonry screws for brick walls & a jackhammer drill. Copper wire doesn't carry the load of galvanized wire.
Woody shrubs espaliered against a home need no wires or trellising. Use espaliered shrubs for low maintenance.
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I took the pics last month in England at Wisley, Royal Hort. Society.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

1 comment:

Ewa said...

Hi Tara,
I just discovered your blog :) This is great job you are doing here.
I love, that you mention about putting ivies on the house - I fully agree with you and I am surprised that - as you say - nobody is teaching about it.
I want to place wisteria on the house, horisontally, but still hesitate what to use as support.
Any hints?
Greetings!
You fly to my blogroll, if you don't have anything against!
Ewa