New Year, New Space

As I look for new ideas for my garden in 2012, I’ve decided to grow up.  You know - vertical, skyward - up!  Creating vertical space is sometimes challenging, especially in a suburban and/or city environment like Phoenix where square footage is limited.

My goal this year is to not only grow up, but to do it in a new, unconventional way.  I am tired of the typical, store-bought trellis.  Vertical space doesn’t have to be a wall, fence or gate.  It can occur right in the middle of a garden bed via an ornamental spire or handmade tipi.  

On a recent garden tour, I saw a ladder placed right in the middle of a bed.  Another example is this handmade ladder I mounted on a wall at my home with a hyacinth bean vine climbing it:

 You could also use an existing tree by running wire or string up the trunk.   

At our school garden, we have almost no natural vertical space, so we made simple structures for our snap peas:

There are many wonderful plants to grow vertically.  Vertical edibles include snap peas, pole beans, cucumbers, loofah, squash and grapes.  Examples of good climbing vines (zone 9) are: lilac, passion, cat claw, pink trumpet, bougainvillea or hyacinth bean vines.  

For more garden tips, visit my blog Waiting for Tulips