Sunday, November 1, 2009

Building the Fourth Wall (Part 3)



With time running out before the fruit trees arrived from the Arbor Day Foundation; it was time to install the trellises. Unfortunately the design of the system became a problem again. The brackets used to attach the trellise to the base were simply not rubust enought to hold the seven foot tall trellis secure and the system flopped again.


Once again, ingenuity and creativity came to our rescue. We purchased 72" metal 1/2 inch diameter pipes (in black) from our local home improvement store. We pounded the pipes into the ground (about 3 feet down) aligned with the center spoke of the trellis and affixed them to the trellis using industrial strapping.


As you can see, the result is a beautiful trellis system that will eventually be the framework for a stunning display of two dwarf fruit trees trained to follow the structure in a two dimensional sculpture. Once planted, the trees will grow through pruning and training on the trellis. While I wait for the trees to grow and produce fruit, I will us teh trellis system to support a crop of sweet peas this spring. Multiple uses and efficient space management! That is what having a potager is all about!


Happy Gardening

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