Arches, Walls, Pergolas And Tunnels In Vertical Gardening

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Secrets of vertical gardening

Both in a landscape and in a regular garden, any climbing plants look great, which can give their own emphasis, color, and also serve a practical purpose: to divide the garden into zones.

The use of climbing plants helps in the early years, while your garden is still small, to create the illusion of splendor and completeness, especially since, in addition to beautiful climbing perennials, there are fast-growing annuals, from which arches, walls, tunnels and pergolas can be formed in a new place every year.

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Before we get into more detail about using vertical gardening in your garden, let me give you some useful practical tips.

A negative effect on shrubs and berries in the garden is exerted by planting them in a low place on the site or in a place flooded in spring with melt water. Plants grow out and freeze out. Place the berries on flat, dry places where enough snow accumulates in winter, and in spring it melts smoothly.

After the snow melts in the spring, determine the direction of the flow of melt and storm water. This way you can find out where the ground warms up faster and where it is slower, as well as outline drainage or drainage grooves to prevent excess water from spreading over the site.

It is very important to know the level of groundwater in your area. Of course, it is very difficult to radically change anything here, but there are several options. Determine the level of groundwater in August, digging a hole 1.5 m deep in the lowest part of the site. A day later they look to see if there is water in it. And the more it is, the worse. Groundwater located at a depth of less than a meter requires very serious drainage measures.

There is an opinion that where the groundwater level is high, there is no garden, but this is what veteran gardeners from the Novgorod region taught me: they make a hill under the apple tree, they dig a hole in it, and put a large stone in it. This stone prevents the taproot of the apple tree from going into the water, the roots grow horizontally, and the tree lives. We should probably not forget the experience of our ancestors.

And a few more tips:

Do not plan to build a house on the south side of the site (like the garden), do not shade the land.

Decide in advance on the location of the greenhouses: they need a lot of sun, but they themselves should not shade the neighboring beds too much.

In the aisles of a young garden, you can plant a berry or a vegetable garden, but remember that this is only as long as the trees are small and do not give shade, and also do not forget to apply increased doses of fertilizers, both for trees and vegetables.

Be sure to provide a place for a compost heap, or maybe more than one - you will see that you will have something to put there, and there is nothing to say about the benefits of ready-made compost.

Everyone has plantings of raspberries, they are well placed along the border of the site or along the perimeter of compost piles. And then not to chase around the entire site for their root suckers, beat off the raspberry planting site to a depth of 50 cm with pieces of old slate or roofing material - this will keep the plantation in place.

Now let's go back a bit to talk with pleasure about vertical landscaping of our gardens and vegetable gardens, which will help make them unique.

Why is this topic so interesting? Yes, even the fact that climbing plants can not only decorate, but also mask. Vertical landscaping can be used to drape a simple barn, toilet, cellar or barnyard.

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With the right approach, such plants not only do not spoil the walls of buildings (sometimes there is such an opinion), but, on the contrary, the slope of their leaf protects the walls from rain and dampness, and the root system is able to collect excess moisture along the foundation of the building. Most of these plants need supports, but this is even a plus, because with the help of supports of different shapes, we are able to create whole structures from climbing or ampelous plants.

Ampel plants differ from curly ones in their weeping shoots. They are usually used to decorate hanging baskets, vases or tall flower beds. Often times, combining two types of these plants can create a truly unique multi-tiered composition.

To decorate walls, fences and trellises, one should take into account not only which plants - annual or perennial - you use, but also how shade or, conversely, heat-tolerant they are. The green walls facing south are exposed to the sun most of the day, a condition that is well tolerated by some maiden grapes. This strong perennial plant looks particularly gorgeous in late summer and autumn, when its leaves acquire all shades of red. The grapes are able to grow a vine up to 15 meters long, they are undemanding to the soil and need strong support. It does not need to be covered for the winter.

Actinidia vine reaches the same size and power, it often has variegated decorative foliage, in addition, actinidia bears fruit, its berries are both tasty and healthy. In autumn, the leaves turn red and purple. To obtain berries, one male should be selected for six female plants.

Climbing roses and honeysuckle honeysuckle feel good on the southern walls. Roses most often require removal from trellises for the winter period, and honeysuckle has excellent frost resistance. Honeysuckle grows very quickly, it is a perennial shrub with fragrant flowers of yellow or pink color.

On the north wall ivy and some types of maiden grapes feel good.

The East was conquered: hydrangea (although in our climate it sometimes freezes), woodworm and clematis. Clematis is the ideal vine for any type of vertical gardening. Depending on the species, the length of the liana ranges from two to eight meters. Clematis blooms beautifully and for a long time, and its flowers can be used for cutting. The only thing this, in general, unpretentious liana cannot stand is acidic soils. You can also plant clematis along the western wall, wisteria, camellia and curly nightshade feel good there.

Of the annuals, sweet peas, curly nasturtium and ornamental beans are popular among florists. Many people love the unpretentious morning glory, but, unfortunately, its beautiful funnel-shaped flowers open only in clear weather.

For vertical gardening, both the selection of plants and the creation of supports for them are important. The more decorative the support, the more it will emphasize the beauty of the plant. In Europe, wicker supports made of wood or metal reinforcement in the form of balls, convex hearts, flowerpots or animal figures are now extremely fashionable. Garden tripods made from blocks or interesting dead branches are also popular. The tripod is fastened with wire from above, and hammered into the ground from below. For such low forms, design with fast-growing annuals is well suited.

The wooden lattice is the basis of various supports for vertical landscaping. It can be used to make arches at the entrance to the house or over garden paths. Semicircular pergola arches are usually decorated with honeysuckle, clematis or hops.

A gazebo entwined with a climbing rose or clematis is a magnificent accent of the entire garden.

To divide the garden into zones or to accentuate them, use wooden trellises with visors up to 90 cm or without visors. Ivy, ornamental beans, common hops, or various varieties of climbing roses are great for planting them.

It happens that there are one or more old trees in the garden that have already served their time. With the help of vertical gardening, they can be given a second life by planting ivy, clematis or girlish grapes at the foot and sprouting along old branches.

Supports for vertical gardening, their creation awakens imagination and brings a lot of joy.

Planting and caring for climbing plants is no more difficult than for ordinary ones; the only thing to consider is their winter hardiness in our climatic zone. It is necessary to select zoned plants and varieties. Provide a winter shelter for roses and clematis. The ability of such plants to grow rapidly requires several increased doses of fertilizers. Strive to plant them not under the roof itself, where they will not have enough water, and in no case under the weir, where they will suffer from moisture.

Vertical gardening is not something new, but, rather, forgotten old, and forgotten, I believe, undeservedly. The gap needs to be filled.