An ugly wall in the garden, be it the neighbor's garage wall or simply an empty house wall, can easily be beautified with climbing plants! They take up very little space and are ideal for concealing walls, fences and other unsightly features in the garden. Some climb on their own without having to be tied to supports, but with interestingly shaped trellises they can be trained to be impressivePatterns along the wallform. In this article we will tell you what you need to make a diamond-shaped trellis yourself! We also give tips on choosing the right plants depending on the direction of the wall.
Beautify an ugly garage wall – what you need:
60m of 16 gauge galvanized wire
*Concrete screws
Needle-nose pliers with wire cutters
Tape measure
Cordless screwdriver
Stone drill bit (if you're doing this on a fence, you can just use wood drill bits)
Chalk line with chalk
1 tube of clear 100% silicone sealant (you only need this if you...Trellis on a walland do not attach to a fence)
shovel
Gloves
Pots with young climbing plants
Soil improvers
*Use wall nails when mounting the trellis on a brick wall. They are intended for anchoring in the mortar of the brick joints and offer more support. Eye hooks are ideal for softer materials such as wood or facade panels.
How to make your own diamond-shaped trellis
1. Measure the area on the wall or fence you want to cover. This determines how many diamonds you form and how many plants you need. As a rule, with such a diamond pattern, the climbing plants are planted at a distance of 60 cm, but you can adjust this distance slightly if necessary and, for example, plant the plants 70 cm apart. Adjust the distance to get as close to 60cm as possible.
The lowest wire should be 30 cm above the ground. To allow plants to grow freely, all wall trellises should generally be placed about 5cm away from the wall or fence.
2. Plan the measurements on paper using a grid to determine distances and anchor points.
3. Transfer the grid to the wall. You can use a chalk line with chalk to do this! This is also the best time to tweak the look of the trellis and make sure you like it. Mark the lowest point of each diamond (where the vines will be planted).
4. Drill pilot holes at each of the points. Here 2 screws are used per anchor point to lay 2 strands of wire. With two strands, it's easier to weave the vines in and around the wire and it's safer. But you can also just use a single wire.
5. Fill each hole with silicone sealant before installing the screw to prevent water from entering the wall. If you are attaching the gate to a fence, you can skip this step.
6. Leave about 2 inches of each screw sticking out of the wall so you can wrap the wire around the screw. Run the wire tightly to each anchor point, creating the diamond pattern, and wrap the wire around each screw to secure it.
7. Now you can plant a climbing plant at the lowest point of each diamond. Do not plant directly against the trellis as this will create a shadow. It is best to leave a distance of around 20-30 cm between the base of the plant and the wall.
In the picture: climbing fig (Ficus pumila)
8. Then add soil additive for better growth and water thoroughly. Water once a week for the first few weeks, or more often if it is very hot. Once established, the climbing plants require no additional watering and can survive on rainwater alone.
9. As the plant grows upward, continue weaving the shoots up the wires to complete the diamond pattern. Cut back any diseased or dead shoots.
Once the trellis is ready, all you need is patience
This is a wonderful way to add greenery to a wall in the garden
Beautify the wall in the garden: choosing plants
The key to success in adding greenery to a wall in the garden is choosing the right plant for the desired location. It is important that you consider the climate and lighting conditions before purchasing. You should choose a plant from the vine family. Their shoots are very flexible and can be pulled and guided to grow on vertical surfaces. This is also a good option if onerapid greeningis asked.
Should the plant be evergreen?
Do you want a flowering climbing plant? Wisteria (wisteria) and climbing hydrangeas bloom beautifully, but are summer green plants and lose their foliage in autumn. The star jasmine(Trachelospermum jasminoides)on the other hand, is an evergreen climbing plant that produces creamy white flowers from June to August.
For a sunny, south or west facing wall:
- Chinese star jasmine (Trachelospermum)– evergreen, beautifully fragrant, hardy down to -10 degrees
- American climbing trumpet (Campsis radicans)– deciduous, not evergreen, blooms from August to September
- Chilean nightshade (Solanum crispum) 'Glasnevin':light purple flowers with orange centers and semi-evergreen foliage
- Blue sack flower (Ceanothus)– wintergreen, blue flowers from July to November
- Kronwicke (Valentina Crown)– Hardy down to -15 degrees, evergreen foliage, yellow flowers from February to April
For a shaded north or east facing wall:
- Virgin vine, wild vine (Parthenocissus): This deciduous, clinging vine has fantastic fall color but can damage the mortar between bricks.
- Kletterhortensie (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris): well frost hardy, deciduous, its flowers exude a beautiful scent from June to July
- Fingerblättrige Akebie (Akebia quinata): This semi-evergreen climber, also known as chocolate vine and climbing cucumber, has interesting leaves and fragrant brown-purple flowers in early spring.
- Spider-catcher (Garrya elliptica) 'James Roof':evergreen, produces creamy white flowers from December to February.
- Ramblerrose 'Albéric Barbier': This deciduous climbing rose produces spectacular, white, densely double flowers in June and July. The leaves only fall off in winter.
