Vertical Garden - One Solution To Using Space

 Sometimes the Trumpet Vine flowers are so big, they look like plastic decorations from a party store.

I was going to claim all my vine efforts were failures. I made several attempts late last year, marked them, and wrote them off as bunny food.

But then I looked up into the maple tree in the front yard. That Trumpet Vine was spread out around the tree, going up the trunk, and blooming high above me.

Books are published on vertical gardening, getting as many plants as possible growing up with supports. I did this instead with a lot of tall, perennial plants.

The opposition party is the grassy weed. Mulching does not do the job; plastic collars are the best way to protect flowers while weed-whacking.

 Bee Balm - plant it and they will come - bees, butterflies, hummingbirds.

The Military-Gardening Group enjoys watching the development of all the plants from the front porch. They are exquisitely and divinely planned to provide food for the bees, from early spring on.

Everyone's favorite bird needs insects for its diet. I expect to see more hummingbirds feeding as the days stay warm and the garden is packed with flowers -

• Hostas
• Bee Balm
• Mountain Mints
• Clethra - the Cinnabon shrub
• Dandelions
• Butterfly Weed
• Shasta Daisies
• Roses
• Balloon Flowers

Ranger Bob asked, "Where are all the roses from this plant?" I answered, "I cut them for the altar and gave them to you for the cemetery. They bloom better if I harvest them all the time."

As I wrote before, I used to marvel at the way my mother had flowers blooming all through the summer. I created the same effect, just by planting a lot of types for one reason or another.

God has a plan and a calendar for each flower, plant, and creature.

This year began with massive discouragement, the accumulated sorrows of two summers of drenching rain. Nothing stopped the Japanese Beetles and the weather extremes killed off the roses.

I ordered some Veterans Honor roses. The rains came down on them at the start, but the sun began to make them grow too. I had the earliest best roses in years.

Luther said we should just keep doing our tasks and let God sort out the victories.

 Butterfly Weed decorates the porch border, a good place to observe the patient bees doing their work.

Vertical Gardening - When Everything Is Growing Up. Chain-Link Fences Beg To Go Green

Wisteria: not my fence...yet.

Chain-link fences are the norm in our area, and I am pleased with 200 linear feet of it around the backyard. First we wanted a fence for Sassy Sue the Wonder-Dog. But once I got the trees trimmed back and sunlight in the yard, the fence offered a unique opportunity for gardening.

For the summer of 2014, I had gourds growing riotously along the top of the fence, so many pole beans that Mrs. I said, "No more," and some odd things like Malabar spinach.

That stretch of fence will  have asparagus every six inches or so. Peas will grow there early, beans later.

The back section is against the alley and good for adding to the bird and butterfly area.

The sunny right section, next to Mr. Gardener's yard, will be a line of roses. I thought of running plants up that fence, but that would make his side of the fence messy, perhaps weedy. Mrs. Gardener loves roses and is delighted at the plans. (Always sell the wife first.)

Some call this vertical gardening. They build elaborate frames to maximize their garden space. I have mine for free, with enough space to try various plants.

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