Photo from Gurneys.com
I ordered some heirloom rattlesnake pole bean seeds (they're supposed to be quite heat resistant), and wanted to get them planted. I decided to build a "rustic" tee-pee-style trellis and plant the pole beans on their own garden structure.
We had a very large hackberry tree blow over during a winter storm, and some of the branches looked like they might work nicely for bean poles. I took the saw out to the fallen tree and chose some limbs for my project.
Then the task of digging began. About halfway through the hole digging process, I was wishing for a small stick of dynamite. When our ground is dry, it's "bullet proof" as Dad would say. Dynamite would have finished the job in no time at all! But with no dynamite on hand, I continued to dig. And dig. And dig. Adding a bit of water helped ease things along.
The hole I dug is about 4 feet wide, and 1 foot deep. Once I had all the grass removed and the soil worked, it was time to enlist Alan's help. He had the good idea of setting a standard t-post in the center of the bed and using it to help support the branches. I found an old rusty one (better than bright green, don't you think!), and Alan set it in place. Once we had the branches in place, we used wire to hold the structure to the t-post, and to join anywhere two pieces of branch touch. It really is quite stable!
The tee-pee isn't quite 9 feet tall, and has (I'm hoping) enough strength to support the pole beans as they grow. I planted bean seeds at the base of each branch, and at the center near the t-post, then wrapped the lower portion of the structure with deer netting to keep the critters out.
The pink arrow shows the location of the tee-pee, in this photo taken on Sunday. The next garden photo will include it. I'm excited to see our TOWER of BEANS!
And speaking of exciting, look what I've got in the garden this morning! Yahoo!!! The small zinnias are starting to bloom!! This little thing isn't much larger than a .50cent piece, but it sure is a welcomed sight to see! The giant zinnias are still growing... they've got a bit more growing to do before they start blooming.
PS: If you're wondering why we mow the yard "weird", leaving patches of tall grass... we like to let some of the grass go to seed, and we like the wildflowers to grow too, so we mow "paths" for us to walk. Walking through tall grass isn't fun (spiders, spiders, SPIDERS!) The wacky paths work for us. *grin* I will be mowing around the trellis area -- don't need that grass going to seed in my newly cleared soil!
Oh, man, your Dad is such a weinie! :))))) I'm going to bet a buck that your hackberry branches sprout. They would up here! :) I love the way you mow. I hate that my neighbors come over and mow my yard! They are destroying my wildlife habitat!
Posted by: Shala | May 27, 2011 at 04:18 PM
love the tee-pee,,was thinking that we might need one in our garden, which we just planted this past week-end here in Mi. getting some nice rain to help out the seed growth/plants.
I love your farm/gardens..quirky things you do!! great ideas behind all of it.
Posted by: Kellie | May 25, 2011 at 07:54 AM
All I seem to be able to think about is the 6ft snake under the vegitation in the garden and under the the T-P or a copperhead. I'm afraid I would be doing most of my garden work with a shotgun nearby and a razor sharp hoe in hand. How about a flame thrower? I really hate snakes and creepy spiders!!!!!
I've never seen any snakes in the grocery store........Love, Dad
Posted by: DK Wight | May 24, 2011 at 07:47 PM
Awesome! Your teepee will be covered in vines in no time!!! Can't wait to see the beautiful bounty. Isn't life on the farm just the BEST??!! XOXOXO
Posted by: diane mcvey | May 24, 2011 at 02:39 PM
Cool Tee-pee! Can't wait to see what it looks like after those beans get to growing! Everything else is looking real green and healthy too.
Posted by: Dee in N.H. | May 24, 2011 at 02:28 PM
Oh my! Only you would think of building a teepee for your bean plants and then actually get the thing built! Especially with the ground so hard! Bravo, girly! Can't wait to see your teepee covered with bean vines.
That tiny pink zinnia makes me want to . . . go build a card with a pink flower on it. :)
Posted by: Shellie Daniel | May 24, 2011 at 01:01 PM
What a great idea for your beans! Are they the kind you dry? Your garden looks wonderful! The kids can't even get theirs in because of the rain and standing water. I have a few things in containers on the porch...tomatoes and herbs. I never got one tomato last year, so I'm hoping for a better year!
Posted by: VivLyn | May 24, 2011 at 12:38 PM
I LOVE the beans tee-pee. :) Great idea, Cool looking. Mowing paths adn leaving the rest in prairie is my kind of yard. ;) Hugs...
Posted by: Carol Dee | May 24, 2011 at 11:58 AM