When we last left you with details of our backyard trellis, we had just planted vegetables instead of all the cute little clay pots we had originally started with. If you recall that choice was made because the little pots required far too much watering and maintenance.
We had planted beans, cucumbers and tomatoes and were eagerly awaiting their growth early in the summer.
What’s that they say about the best laid plans?
They always work out?
Uh no.
The best laid plans of mice and men, often go awry.
Yes. That’s sounds more accurate.
In this case anyway.
Would you believe that ants stole several of the seeds and rabbits ate the plants that did manage to sprout!
Yeah.
Uber frustrating to say the least.
So we went back to the drawing board yet again to find a different low maintenance solution for our garden trellis. Though this time around were starting about halfway through the summer!
Instead of trusting our pesky bunny neighbors to not eat whatever we planted this time around, we decided to raise the garden beneath the trellis to keep anything we planted out of their reach.
(Please excuse the hanging ferns – they’re getting a little case of the “Autumn browns”. During the summer we actually had hanging tomato plants there. But they’re done for the season too.)
Quite literally we just built a cedar box around the base of our trellis, lined it with Scotts Landscape Fabric to keep the soil in and weeds out, and then added Miracle-Gro® Organic Choice® Garden Soil before planting English Ivy.
It doesn’t look like much by way of green just yet.
But those Ivy are filling in quite nicely and will create a beautiful green, shady focal point on our patio – back-dropped with our neighbors beautiful red brick wall.
Now English Ivy is considered somewhat invasive. However, since we’ve planted it in a container and there is plenty of space around the trellis, we’re not concerned. We can keep it under control by keeping it constrained to the vertical garden only.
So far whenever a shoot seems to be growing a little wild, we just tuck it back into the chicken wire trellis.
The best part of the Ivy is that it’s evergreen and doesn’t have too many flowers to attract wasps and bees right next to our patio.
We cannot wait to see what next summer brings for our Vertical Garden!
Did you have any gardening mishaps or changes of plan this year? We’d love to hear we’re not alone!
I have some ‘lovely’ English ivy growing up the sides of the house I am trying to eradicate before it completely ruins the siding.? No I didn’t plant it. Can I borrow your bunnies?
Love to see your ideas, fun !