Anybody found a good source for inexpensive but sturdy trellises? I found a couple of good buys last weekend at Hobby Lobby: white trellises for half price, so I bought 2. Big Lots had some for $18 apiece, which might work for some future clems I plan to buy, but I'm sure they won't be long-lasting, although they look as good as the cheaper ones at HD and Lowe's. I'm not wanting all of my trellises to be major eye-catchers, just support for roses and clems.

Anyone?

You could use tomato cages only upside down and secure it with u-shaped landscape pins. The top: you could tuck the 4 support pieces into a grapevine ball, or just wrap with wire or string, maybe use a huge metal washer.

Good idea, Julia. I've seen this before in someone else's garden (maybe yours?) with the grapevine ball on top and this could work. Those tomato cages are pretty strong!

I've used the tripod that florists attach flower sprays to. Just shove them into the ground. Often times they can be found at cemeteries where people throw them away (such as over in the woods around here). I think it is time to check out the cemetery closest to us. I'm in need of a few more for all the clematis I bought this spring. These are made of metal and will last a long time. I have a clematis on one that has been there at least 10 years.

I took 2 tomato cages and spray painted them black. Then turned one upside down and cired them together to make a pillar. Used some pliers and made 'curly cues' out of the legs of the top (upside down) piece. This is a new project for this summer so I am not sure how they will work out/hold up but simple and cheap!
Pics to follow if I can get out there...

Here are pics of the 2-cage pillars. Of course, the sturdier the tomato cage, the sturdier the arbor.

Another against a mainly white bg afraid the curls on the legs of the top cage are not showing well....

And the last one with my favorite garden assistant as an accent

Pretty neat, Jennie! You go, Girl! I like the tomato trellis idea and I have several of the large sturdy ones that I could use and do the curlicue thing on the legs. Hmmm.

Great idea to do that with the legs!

These are my new trellises and an obelisk Bestnest ,good prices compared with Plow and Hearth.
This trellis and a few clems will hide the leaf barrel area


Real cheap trellis made with rebar and cable ties and the metal form from my Xmas wreath

The Obelisk hasnt been assembled yet. The thaw is over and we are back to winter.

For lashing bamboo, PVC, metal conduit, chciken wire or cattle panels, here is a good quality, VERY strong cheap waxed twine.

The price was great, less than 2 cents per yard, but shipping from TX to WA was high.
So I bought four rolls at once, and then it only came to 3 cents per yard total.

Most craft places or bamboo supply places will charge hugely more than that. And this stuff is incredibly strong, and very heavily waxed. The vendor is an electronics supply house, and this was intended for lashing cables together.

9 PLY WAXED POLY TWINE 335 YARDS
Part No: 70-50448
$6.24

They no longer list it on their website, so you'll have to call them to order it:
Tel: (940) 484-9400
Free: (800) 958-5173
[email protected]

Rick,
That link doesn't lead to that product. Please go to the product page and then list the URL from your browser.
Thanks!

Thanks, Linda.


They no longer list the waxed twine on their website, so you'll have to call them to order it:

Tel: (940) 484-9400
Free: (800) 958-5173
[email protected]

9 PLY WAXED POLY TWINE 335 YARDS
Part No: 70-50448
$6.24

Great tip rick .Thanks

Hey, Rick!
Milestek no longer carries the 9-ply waxed twine. They weren't selling enough of it so they discontinued stocking it. I did get a lead on the original manufacturer, Coats North America, and I'm gonna try to find them. Will let you know.

Next time, buy enough for us all, then resell it to us!

You're very welcome.

I've been growing a Fargesia rufa Bamboo for around three years now, hoping to get culms big enough to use as poles and stakes. Nope: more like fat grass.

So I'm looking for a fairly cold-hardy clumping bamboo that will have thicker culms even in part shade and less-than-perfect conditions.

Zone 8a allegedly only goes down to 10-15 F in an average winter, but I've already seen colder witners than that. I was hoping to find some fast-growing fairly thick bamboo that wouldn't be bothered by 0-5 F (Zone 7).

Y'know what? I wish the published USDA Hardiness Zone maps were not based on average winters. I wish they were based on 80% or 90% or even 95% winters.

I'm not eager to plant things that are only killed off every other year: I would rather plant something likely to last 5, 10 or 20 years.

Have Coats North America on the line. They're trying to find me a distributor in Texas!

Uh, Rick,
I have unlimited access to a co-worker's bamboo grove.

You mean those real FAT bamboo poles we have'ta cut down with a reciprocating saw? That's what you wanna grow?

TAH-DAH!

Specialized Products Company
800-866-5353

Item #44800NAT: Cable Lacing Twine, 9-Ply, Waxed Poly / 335 yd Spool
$7.00/spool

http://www.specialized.net/Spe...

Rick,
Thanks for putting us on to this!



P.S. So, you're the "Bamboozler?"