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Quote of the Day: The Garden Above

July 7th, 2013

Gardens are rooted in the earth, but the sky beckons. To send plants climbing is to lift up the garden, to elevate it above the sprawl and damp. There the sun can coax forth the berry and beckon the rose to flower. In this process, we benefit: from an arbor’s shade, from a pergola’s shelter, from an increase in the garden’s bounty.

Linda Joan Smith (Smith & Hawken Garden Structures)

I am definitely thinking about the garden above here at Chiot’s Run. We could use a few arbors and pergolas to provide shade in the heat of the day. We’re thinking of placing a few on the house to provide some much needed cooling shade in the hot summer months.
trellis_over_garden_benches
Hyacinth_beans_at_monticello
wisteria_arbor_at_longwood
arbor_at_longwood
I’ve been collecting images of trellises and arbors over on Pinterest, trying to figure out just what I want to do. I certainly know what kinds of vines I’ll be using, climbing hydrangea, sweet autumn clematis, and hops of course.

What’s your favorite garden climber?

10 Comments to “Quote of the Day: The Garden Above”
  1. Brenda on July 7, 2013 at 6:37 am

    Grapes are a great climber, and passionfruit, and of course a rose xxBrenda

    Reply to Brenda's comment

  2. Ann on July 7, 2013 at 8:09 am

    I love purple hyacinth beans. They have large, broad leaves and the most gorgeous purple flowers that the birds love. Only down side is that they don’t like to grow til the weather gets warm but once they start, they grow fast.

    This year I am trying hops for the first time. I had 2 starts but 1 died after the ducks picked at it too much. So I threw up a temporary fence around the the other plant to give it protection. Now it has made it to the top of the fence and is spreading out like crazy.

    Things not to grow. Anything in the Morning Glory family. That includes Cypress vine, Hummingbird vine, ect. They throw off so many seeds and then come up everywhere from now to eternity. I have heard that seeds from that family last in the soil for up to 100 years!!

    Reply to Ann's comment

    • Deb on July 7, 2013 at 1:42 pm

      Grow all of those mentioned and love honeysuckle also. No problem spreading of these. I grow them on purpose. I’m in zone 5B-6A in Ohio. Love all of them. Great pix. I use whatever is available for trellising flowers or veggies. Sticks, what others throw away, bed springs, etc. No need to buy when someone always throws stuff away.

      Reply to Deb's comment

      • amy on July 7, 2013 at 2:45 pm

        I grow all of those as well…..on purpose:)…..and moonflower…..sweet peas….love in a puff……hyacinth bean…..trumpet vine…..roses…..and pole beans………..

        to amy's comment

  3. Kay on July 7, 2013 at 8:15 am

    Wisteria is so beautiful when it is established.

    Reply to Kay's comment

  4. Maybelline on July 7, 2013 at 9:11 am

    Wisteria

    Reply to Maybelline's comment

    • Maybelline on July 7, 2013 at 9:12 am

      And bougainvilleas. Neither are suited to your climate I think.

      Reply to Maybelline's comment

  5. Mich on July 7, 2013 at 10:32 am

    I love Wisteria. Wishing we now had a shady pergola to sit under as we are having a heat wave here! Best UK summer for 7yrs…. Looked at your Pinterest page, have just bought some plant belle hoops, really nifty idea.

    Reply to Mich's comment

  6. judym on July 7, 2013 at 3:40 pm

    We have a small trellis at the entrance of one3 garden area. We have yet to plant something to vine on it. We’ve talked about climbing roses, black-eyed susan vine or a beautiful clematis. Right now we have a volunteer gourd vine growing over an azalea bush. So far we’ve started draping it along the top of our porch. a few more lines tied and we will have a nice shade on the west side of our house.

    Reply to judym's comment

  7. Amanda H on July 12, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    We planted hops for the first time this year. My husband did all the actual planting, he put in about 4 or 5 different varieties. They’re growing up sisal rope on the south side of the house. After a couple years they should get bushy enough to provide some decent shade. They grow fast, have already yielded about 2 oz of cones, and gotten a lot of questions from the neighbors!

    Reply to Amanda H's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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