Bambillow Lathyrus Rack

I planted a variety of Lathyrus in a pack of the deep root-trainers back in the winter and they are now ready to put out. You may recall that my cat, Rose chewed-off a number of them a few weeks after she decimated my clematis.

To continue, I pinched-off the tops once and they have sent up new side shoots. I may pinch these off as well next week, but now I have to make racks for these lovely and fragrant flowering plants.

The first thing to consider was where to plant these things...and do I make another wigwam this year as I always do?

I chose the primary location over by the main entrance where the path takes a bend.
I had gotten hold of an armload of willow switches up the way where allotment waste gets chipped by the weekly work crew.

I looked at the location and thought a wigwam would have to be quite narrow and thus tall. This would make it difficult for me to reach to cut the flowers. I am tall enough at six foot, three...but those Tonkin sticks are well above what I can reach to (even when stuck deeply into the soil).
What was needed was a re-think. I thought that a rack would be the way to go, so I set about it.

--First, I cleaned a strip of Forget-me-nots and weeds away and worked the soil, making it fine as wall as nice and loose

--Next, I sank four Tonkin bamboo sticks into the ground, following the curvature of the walking path. This established the vertical axis.

--Then I bundled up six willow switches and wove them horizontally in and out of the sticks in an alternating fashion: over-under. Then under-over, so that half the switches were behind the Tonkin sticks and the other half were in front. I could thus better secure the switches to the horizontal sticks, making the structure more stable.


--What I then proceeded to do was add further switches in an "X" form in the open rectangular areas created by the vertical sticks and horizontal switches.
This added more stability and it would give the climbing Lathyrus something to be tied onto.

--Once that was completed, the only thing left to do was give the rack more of a concave form. The solution to this problem was to span twine between the two end sticks.
I did this at the top two horizontal switch bands. I could have done more, but I thought that this was enough tension.
If you look carefully, you can just see the taught twine stretched between the two end poles.


--Finally, I planted the Lathyrus at the rack's foot alternating the types.

I sort of stood back and looked that the handiwork. it looked good to me. Sort of rough and perhaps OTT as these types of structures go, but I like doing things a bit different. Besides, once the Lathyrus climbs all over the rack, the scaffolding will no longer be completely visible, I am thinking.


When I had the first twine piece securely tied in between the two poles, I looked at it and feeling quite smug at my handiwork, I said to my partner, "look at this fine bambillow piece of work, it's a tight as a bow string", and plunked it--PIROWWNG!!
It broke! The twine broke! Tch.(( :-? )) --shaking my head....
Whenever one's head swells with cockiness, there is always a certain Mr. Murphy waiting in the wings to step in and dole out a hefty round of humble pie.
"Bambillow", she crowed..."You do come up with the craziest words for things".

Shaking off that slight embarrassment, I noticed that I had extra plants. I had promised Hetty, up the way that I would grow some Lathyrus for her, but I had so many that I thought perhaps another structure was in order.

I split what was left in half and would use "my" half on some kind of new structure.
The thing is, while I was busy with my little Bambillow rack project my partner was busy herself constucting what she called a "tunnel"...extending the yellow Lonicera arch over next to the veggie patch. I called the construction a canopy.

The structure was so simple, yet so effective. Sadly the fotos do not show the craftsmanship adequately.

There are two Tonkin sticks used there straight out in front of the existing arch. There are slender lengths of bamboo arranged in a lattice-diamond pattern on either side.
On top there is a straight bit of bamboo connecting the canopy and the arch for stability.

The Lathyrus is planted at the base and led upwards with short sticks. The Lathyrus will cover both sides of this and make a fragrant tunnel to walk through when travelling up this path. I'm looking foreword to summer.

Here are a couple of pics:

 

Sjoerd - Enjoyed this very much! I love your garden pics, wish I could take a stroll through them to see everything.

 

Oh boy, oh boy, those are two great structures. I see the passenger train in the background of the first picture and I am thinking how the commuters must LOVE passing by your lottie every day. It all looks wonderful. You guys have been B U S Y!!!

 

Very creative trellis design and I like the name...bambillow :-D . Your detailed description and photos are wonderful. It is amazing how different your lotties looks with all the new growth. I like the archway your partner created...it is functional and draws you through garden paths. It looks so pretty with all the blue forget me nots lining the path. Very nicely done. Look forward to seeing more photos when the Lathyrus starts filling out your structure. The train in your first photo was a nice reminder of seeing all the gardens along the track when we visited Amsterdam.

 

Thank you so much, KAY--I appreciate your noice words. Appreciating the little flower garden is indeed best done on foot. I have never been able to make a decent foto that adequately shows the garden and it's aspects.

DAISY-- Thank you for the nice posting. Every time I take the train and leave Hoorn, I notice the various volkstuins that are along the rails here and there. Gail has noticed them when she visited Amsterdam, she said. It is one of the best ways of viewing allotments.
Ypou are indeed correct about being busy...and I'm STILL busy catching-up with plantting and cleaning.

GAIL--Thanks for the support with the name, "bambillow". Hahaha.
Thanks also for your nice compliments.
I shall take more fotos once the trellises have filled-out properly with the Lathyrus.
I recall you mentioning that you had seen lotties when you and your man were visiting Amsterdam some years ago. I do not notice the trains much anymore because I have gotten used to them passing, but when I see them on a foto, It gives me a cozy-kind of feeling.

 

Great post! I absolutely love your racks... and your lottie is looking marvelous!

 

CHERYL--Thank you so much for liking the posting and racks. I have great hopes for the racks and Lathyrus. I must be vigilent though, there's slugs 'n snails a-lurkin' in them thar Forget-me-nots. It's just too copld for them co come out just yet.

Thank you so very much, TONI, for liking the racks. What an absolute shame that you missed planting your Lathyrus this year. They are such great plants to have ...for the looks, the fragrance and for cut flowers at home.
Fingers crossed that the Lathyrus delivers this year.

Hahaha...thanks for liking my coined word. I really must come over that way one day...Perhaps I could go all over England, Scotland and Wales erecting those curved bambillow racks--Christo might take exception to my encroaching onto his turf, though. hahaha

 

I absolutely love your garden Sjoerd. The curving pathways ... I just can't wait to see what's around the corner. Your Bambillow rack! Last season you inspired me to try Lathyrus one more time and I bought some seeds this spring. I wonder where they are? I don't remember seeing them in my seed basket...

 

Thank you so much for commenting favourable on the racks.
I find it dreadful that you have misplaced your Lathyrus seeds. I hope that you can locate them soon.

 

great bambillows sjoerd! really, i like them! they look like they were fun to create. they gave me some ideas...

 

Well, Bunkie--I'm glad you liked the pics and posting....but now, let's see what your ideas are!
You have my curiosity up now.

 

we're heading to town for supplies today, so will have to think on it and post tomorrow.

in thinking, we are trimming up our willow trees and those thin limbs are very bendable...i see 'willillows' in my future!

 

Ok then...
hahaha....willows in your future-- Go for it, Bunkie!