 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
Gardening Vertically: Fad, Emerging Frontier or Long-Overlooked Art Form
Sure, it makes sense that there's a buzz about vertical gardening-there are lots more of us to feed these days with much less productive land. "Let's make the best use of our diminishing resources," many are saying. And likely there are also those who dismiss vertical gardening as a fad. Mostly, though, I hear talk about increased yields. However, I suspect there are vertical gardeners like myself who have been surprised by another aspect we hadn't expected. "Necessity is the mother of invention," is a cliché often quoted, and human food requirements necessitate sponging-up sunlight at smaller and smaller focal points. My wife, Vicki, and I have a small yard, and somewhat out of necessity we began years ago building what began as rather makeshift trellises. Somewhere along our way, it had dawned on us that vining plants, such as cucurbits, those that produce melons, squash, cucumbers and pumpkins, are much like grape vines, their vines produce tendrils that secure to structures so they can climb as they grow. Commercial farmers still grow cucurbits on the ground, but home gardeners realized long ago that these vining plants are more adapted to growing upward. Of course, home gardeners support cucurbit vines on trellises of all sorts and have devised many ingenious, albeit awkward, means of providing support to heavy melons, pumpkins or squash while they are yet ripening and suspended. We began to desire a more scientific and artistic approach to vertical gardening and to building a vertical garden structure. We searched in vain for a guidebook to how to build one that is both aesthetic and engineered to be vine-friendly, and finally resigned to sketching our own design and years ago we built our first vertical garden structure. As the next season progressed, we were amazed to see squash and melon vines rise to heights over our heads. Each year since, we have been delighted by astounding yields and our harvests of both heirlooms and hybrids (see photos at our website). We have harvested mouth-watering melons whose flavors are unmatched by the "store-boughts," and we store enough squash each year that it is mid-April before we cook and savor the last of our trophies. As pleasurable as it is to bite into these orbs of sweetness and palate sensation, though, there is another thrill exclusive to vertical gardening that may eclipse these joys. Vines grown vertically are artful all by themselves as they twist about and their tendrils reach and spiral. We've observed, though, that with a little pruning and directional coaxing using garden ties, they can be guided to achieve magnificent form and function. Each day of the growing season we can step over to our vertical garden to find wondrous surprises. The magnificence of vines grown vertically tugs gently at our subtler nature until we begin to awaken to a certain glimpse of the sublime. The joys experienced when tending vines may be akin to what one feels when listening to corn grow during the hush of dawn. I 've fallen into awe sometimes while cultivating and coaxing vines to grow left or right or up or down to fill our garden structure. I am eager already for next season, when I will experiment again with varieties strange to me and surely be amazed anew. ©2005 Steven J. Townsend. All Rights Reserved. Steve and Vicki Townsend share hundreds of vertical gardening shortcuts and secrets in e-books you can download at http://www.gardensup.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Better Homes and Gardens' presenter Jason Hodges to create Australian Garden ... - North Shore Times
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Grow Strawberries In addition to the traditional strawberry patch, there are as many ways to grow strawberries as there are to eat them! Grow strawberries in a bed, hydroponically, as a ground cover, as an ornamental patio plant, or in a hanging basket.Strawberry CategoriesAn important part of knowing how to grow strawberries is understanding how different types of strawberries grow. Add Value to Your Home - Landscaping Just recently my friend had his house appraised between $800,000 and $815,000 by two different independent house valuators. He spent two days hard work in the garden placing new grass on mats, bringing in new plants, putting creepers on the wall, and adding a water feature. Poly Tarps: More Than Meets The Eye To many people, "tarp" conjures an image of a crumpled canvas in the corner of the garage, or maybe that shiny blue plastic sheet in the hardware store.But tarps are the beneficiary of some of the best technology in textile and chemical treatments. Lawn Care Business Owners - Dont Buy Yourself A Job Most businesses consist of the owner only or the owner and a few employees. The owner continues to do the same activity whether it is labor or crew management for many years. Easy to Grow Roses There are many different types of roses. If you are new to rose gardening, then it is wise to choose varieties of easy to grow roses to begin your rose garden. Garden Statuary - Time for a Fresh New Look Spring is coming, and now is the time to get out and whip those outdoor spaces into shape. With new growth appearing on trees, bulbs popping up and birds and butterflies coming out of hiding, your patio, garden or backyard is ripe for a fresh new look with decorative accents that put a delightful finishing touch on your own little corner of nature. Everyone Loves Flowers Flowers Truly Reach Your Soul.Flowers are a heartfelt, natural way to lift our spirits. Gardening in Containers Every Garden can benefit from the addition of container gardens. They add interst and variety, plus are easily moved around. Fun, Funky Garden Plants I have a love for funky, fun and unique garden plants. Here's one to try. Mowing the Lawn This is more of a follow up on my original article posted yesterday. As I have now finally managed to buy a new lawn mower, with safetey and usability in mind, I have been chopping away at that lawn this morning. 10 Free Gardening Products One of the pleasurable spin-offs in organic gardening is finding alternative ways of coming up with the same, if not better, end result.. How to Make Your Own Rooting Hormone When starting a new plant from a leaf or stem cutting, the cutting will be more likely to form roots and create a new plant if a rooting hormone is used.While commercial rooting hormone can be used there are organic homemade versions that work as well. Tractors and Their History I recently bought a small tractor for my garden, which prompted me to right this article.The tractor was a John Deere, GT235. Teak Patio Furniture Is The Perfect Choice For Your Terrace You have spent hours of time and quite a lot of money on getting your back yard just right. The trees are lush and green, the flowers are blooming and everything looks beautiful. Caring For Tropical And Exotic Flowers Tropical flowers make an exciting change from the more traditional floral gifts such as roses and gerberas, assuming that they're available in your area. Their stark and colorful beauty makes them an impressive gift for special occasions like Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, birthdays and anniversaries. The Exotic Rose of Sharon Perhaps you were browsing the pages of a catalog and found a beautiful picture of the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus Sriacus)? Or maybe you were lucky enough to see a Rose of Sharon in person at a local garden center?Are you wondering whether these will make a beautiful addition to your home? Getting a little knowledge of these beautiful plants will allow you to make a decision.Although once somewhat uncommon, the Rose of Sharon has become a widely loved plant. Secrets of Growing Killer Tomatoes Tomatoes have always been my favorite garden vegetable to grow and to eat. I have had success with the other standard garden vegetables, such as cucumbers, bell peppers, cauliflower etc. A Teak Bench: The Perfect Complement To Any Outdoor Space Are you searching for that perfect bench to set off your garden or outdoor space? Do you desire furnishings that can be both exquisite and durable? Do you want something unique, a spectacular piece of furniture that the neighbors will brag about? If so, you might find exactly what you are looking for in a teak bench.Teak benches are highly sought after due to the beauty and durability of each piece. Make The Most From Your Vegetable Garden All your hard work has paid off, and now you are presented with a dilemma, too many vegetables! After sharing your wealth with friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and anyone that happens to come to visit, there are alternative options of what you can do with your extensive supply of tomatoes, zucchini and other bountiful crops that will bring great joy to the community around you.There are many different ways to approach this, the easiest would be to look up in your local phone book for organizations that you could donate your vegetables to. A Couple of Good Places to Buy Lawnmowers After much searching and deliberation, I finally bought a lawnmower of the Internet. This is not the sort of item that I would normally buy on the web, but am happy that I did so.
|
|
|
 |
 |
