pets & gardens

Katie from BlackStar here. You've met my cat. Now meet my morning glories. Well, not just morning glories. The theme of this garden post? Grow up.

If you're short on garden space and think you can’t grow cucumbers or morning glories, think again. It’s so easy to grow plants vertically (and what a great way to block a bad view). So here are some tips.

Morning glory and cardinal climber with hummingbird growing on twine between two cedar poles.

Be supportive. There are so many different supports out there. And after all, we are a DIY community, so get creative.  

• Stake vines to a privacy fence with string. 
• Try making a trellis with wooden lattice and 4x4 posts. (Metal fence posts work great too, and so do those pre-bought metal garden trellises and arches.) 
• If you’re lucky enough to know someone who grows bamboo, pay them a visit and cut some poles. They work great and look fab! You can even try this method in containers.

Pole bean trellis growing on metal fence posts with wire fencing

Go veggie with those blooms. I plant vegetables and flowers on the same trellis or two varieties of flowers, growing side by side. There are so many gorgeous vining flowers on the market now. Another advantage to growing veggies on a trellis is they stay clean. And if you grow red flowers, such as Cardinal Climber or Cypress Vine, you have the added joy of watching the hummingbirds come to feed. Hummingbirds are very attracted to red flowers.

Give it a try — and let me know how it turned out.

Cucumber trellis growing on store bought metal trellis