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Building with Bent Twigs?
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Posted by blitzdes z6 MA (My Page) on Mon, Jul 26, 04 at 22:12
| Does anyone know of some good websites that have instructions for building things out of sticks and bent twigs? I pruned some forsythia today (yes, I know it's the wrong time of year, but it was blocking the gate), so now I have several 3-4 ft. lengths of bendable twigs, about 1/2" diameter at the base. I think it will be enough to make a trellis or fence-type thingie to mask one side of the AC unit. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Building with Bent Twigs?
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| Dont really know of any websites as such that have that but why not do a search for rustic trellises or rustic structures for the garden. |
RE: Building with Bent Twigs?
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| Thanks; I found some instructions. The best results came from searching for "bent willow". I built it tonight. It came out pretty nice - has an arched top and everything. I'm looking forward to putting it outside in the morning. I hope it masks the AC unit, rather than drawing attention to it! I have some tumpet vine seeds I can put in next year . . . unless . . . I wonder if it'd have time to get started this year. Does anybody know? |
RE: Building with Bent Twigs?
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| If by trumpet vine you are referring to campsis radicans, be careful. That plant gets HUGE!!! (like 30-50'). That could make it very difficult to get to your air conditioner and could end up blocking the necessary ventilation. You might do better with annual vines. Marie |
RE: Building with Bent Twigs?
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| I would pass on the Trumpet Vine seeds around the AC. We have a vine that we cut to the ground once a month, and it is still determined to cover the greenhouse! They get enormous! Cypress vine, or Cardinal Climber would do well on your little fence. It would be enough that the trellis would still show, but softer, with the greenery. Janie |
RE: Building with Bent Twigs?
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| Thanks for the cautions, and the alternative suggestions. The trellis ended up in the bed on the side of the garage instead of in front of the AC unit, but I still like the idea of a vine that shows the trellis - it looks pretty good just "naked", so I don't want to cover it much. There is another, larger trellis in pretty deep shade and relatively poor soil that stands well away from the house. The area needs color and I haven't had much success with anything else, so I may try the trumpet vine there - maybe the unfavorable conditions will keep it somewhat at bay. |
RE: Building with Bent Twigs?
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| Maybe if you are stuck on getting a trumpet vine, try getting a campsis tagliabuana rather than a campsis radicans. They grow to approx 12' rather than 50'. I found this info at link below. Hope it helps. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Forest Farm Campsis
RE: Building with Bent Twigs?
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| That sounds like a winner. I may just go with morning glories - I didn't know they self-seeded, so that's just as good as perennial. A friend gave me some seeds from a beautiful violet blue one that grows up her deck posts every year. |
RE: Building with Bent Twigs?
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| The first thing that came to my mind was that forsythia roots real easy, it may take root there due to its easy in rooting and the moisture the AC puts out. Did you let it dry out after building it before putting it up? Just a thought. trudyjean |
RE: Building with Bent Twigs?
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| Yes Trudy, I did dry the twigs for a little over 24 hours. They didn't sprout this year, but I have considered the possibility they could sprout in spring. In my reasearch, I learned that there is actually a british form of trellising/fencing that uses fresh willow twigs and relies on them to sprout, creating a sort of living fence. So, if my trellis sprouts, I will probably just move it and turn it into an experiment with this method. I ended up putting the trellis elsewhere - it showed up better on the side of the garage - and decided to use ferns and some shrubby plants to screen the AC unit. |
RE: Building with Bent Twigs?
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I did this project this summer with Lilacs.
Fine Gardening web site
'Build a Rustic Tuteur'
It was in the magazine if you get that and its on their website. EASY!!!! |
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