Trellis in a pot and some towering support
Every year I lose potted plants to freezing temperatures. Like Charlie Brown, I never learn. Just as Lucy convinces her favorite blockhead that she won’t pull the football away as he runs to kick it, gardening sources try to convince me that my Zone 8 favorites can take Puget Sound’s winter cold and rain. Nope, not listening this time; the potted plants are overwintering on my enclosed sun porch for the path to the compost pile is layered with good intentions (and last year’s potted plants ).
One such plant, my passion flower vine, will vacation indoors this winter (at least what’s left of it after a Bambi munch fest). The vine will need support when it rebounds, so a trellis is in order. Because the idea of buying a trellis made my glasses fog, I looked for the best DIY, cost-me-nothing solution, and sticks were it.
The trouble is, sticks in a pot can look like, well sticks in a pot. For this project step it up a bit and channel your inner aesthete and search out the extraordinary and visually interesting branch. I like, make that love, madrona twigs and branches; they have a visual rhythm all their own.
How to Make a Trellis in a Pot
Materials:
- potted vine
- pruners
- sticks
Assembly
- Collect some small branches or twigs
- Use same type of tree for uniformity and natural growth pattern (e.g., corkscrew willow, or maple)
- Use pencil-thick sticks
- Cut sticks to desired trellis height
- Avoid using a shallow pot
- Poke 4 branches around pot’s outer rim
- Make stick depth half of pot’s total
- Place one east, west, north and south.
- Weave branches together to create a simple cone shape
- Place another branch between each existing stick
- Weave branches in and out to strengthen trellis
- Prune side branches that stick out
- Weave vine (gently) through the trellis (to get it started)
- Prune dead and unsightly vine stems (or let your neighborhood deer do it)
There you have it. This little project was inspired by Tom’s to-do list and propensity for distraction. (Yep it inspired me to ignore the chores at hand and do something a bit more fun.)
Fragrant Sweetpeas in a pot, supported by a maple sapling trellis
That’s really great. Hope your potted plants weather well on your sun porch this year.
That is downright wonderful! Thanks for the inspiration.
I think you’re probably wise to err on the side of caution when over-wintering those tender perennials. Love the little twig trellis…very crafty of you 🙂
Fun and pretty! Chuckling over the Bambi munch fest. So many of us experience that. Better to laugh than cry, right? 😉
Shirley
tom your a stick genius …what is the japaness flower arrangement discipline called?
brion, it’s called Ikebana, and congrats on your chili peppers. I can’t take too much heat (so I usually pick a peck of pickled pimentos).
btw my chilis planted in april (those that did not fry) have sprouted fruit…$5 chili anyone
nice! It reminded me of the work of Muallem Philippe in our orchard in Lebanon with twigs from the grapes. you are so lucky to have sweet peas!
It’s gorgeous! I love the red 🙂
The is so artistic! Well done!
This post caused quite a stir on “The Twitter” this morning… Great Post
hi can i do work with us
I just found this through Pinterest… what a great idea!
Hi, I don’t understand 9-13 🙁 Sorry, I cannot visualize. Do I bend the sticks as weaving? Thank you.
I’m sorry Renee, you’re right that is a bit confusing. I meant to gently weave the live vine planted in the pot through the trellis sticks, and just enough for it to have something to hold on to or lock a tendril onto. In this case I had a young passion flower vine that I “wove” or really placed through the trellis branches to establish it and keep the vine going upward. Hope this helps.
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