Trellis, or treillage as it is sometimes pompously called, has a long pedigree as a garden feature. In its original form, it probably consisted of a woven screen of branches used for fencing or to support trained fruit trees against a wall. Today it is primarily used as a decorative element, but with careful planning you can combine this with the traditional approach to produce a very attractive screen, wind-break or base for climbing plants.

The most widely used type of trellis consists of thin strips of wood nailed together to form a diamond or squared pattern, but there are many other possibilities. Plastic is increasingly available and, if of good quality and simple design, can be quite acceptable. Wire, steel and wrought-iron have long been used in a variety of ways, ranging from strands of wire stretched between posts to delicate filigrees that reflect the architecture of an adjoining building. One of the great advantages of free-standing trellis is, of course, the ease with which it can be erected. Read the rest of this entry »

Pergolas are one of the oldest garden elements. Their history can be traced back to the very earliest representations of cultivation in Egyptian courtyards. Their role was a dual one: to support the twining stems of vines and to provide a degree of shelter from the all-pervading sun. Since then, pergolas, tunnels and arches have been incorporated into many different types of garden, but it is worth remembering that a pergola is primarily a vehicle for plants. Climbers in particular often thrive on a pergola, growing far better than they do when planted close to the house, where their growth is hindered by foundations, poor soil or the lack of moisture caused by an adjoining wall’s ‘rain shadow’. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m essentially a lazy gardener and if there is a way to tend plants at a comfortable height, rather than at ground level, then I’m all for it. But this is just one of the advantages of raised-bed gardening. Raised beds give young plants a much- needed boost, soften the hard line of an adjoining wall, can double as occasional seats, become an integral part of steps or ramps or temporarily provide a children’s sand-pit. You can use them to contain a given area such as a patio or vegetable garden, and remember that the soil in a raised bed can be quite different from that in another part of the garden. This will allow you to grow plants that would not normally thrive in the immediate vicinity — for example ericaceous plants could be grown in an acidic bed in an otherwise chalky garden. Read the rest of this entry »