Let's Build a Trellis

the easy way

Today's post is about a product I ran across on Pinterest.

I didn't like it when Pinterest started with the ads a few years ago but darn it if I don't find things I need through that feature from time to time. Clothes and shoes mostly.

But...I've had a situation at my house for quite awhile that I did not know what to do about till I happened upon a solution on Pinterest.

Last summer I bought a sweet pink climbing rose off Ebay.

Yes, I buy all kinds of stuff off Ebay including plants. I've bought hostas, lilies and this rose.

This rose was advertised as being native and hardy to my part of the country and I needed a rose that could survive the bright sun and heat that hits the front of my cottage in the summer.

Just looked up my past purchases on Ebay and this was an Antique Heirloom Seven Sisters Climbing Rose. I bought in June of 2017. Oh my two years ago!

It was just a little sprig of a thing. The first year, not much happened.

But this past spring I got some lovely blooms and it took off growing!

But as the summer progressed - this was the situation.

I knew I needed a trellis. But all the trellis's were made straight up and down.

I wanted it to curve and follow the arch of my front porch.

I debated making one of wire or copper pipe...which seemed involved and I didn't want a big trellis on the front of my house. I had seen hooks that you are suppose to drill into your house. But I did not want to drill holes into my brick. It's old and fragile.

So one day I'm on Pinterest and I see this ad for Magic Tape!

This stuff is suppose to hold up anything. And even works on a rough surface like brick.

It's double sided.

It will stick up very heavy things and when you are ready to take whatever down..it comes off without leaving a residue.

It's truly magic stuff.

Here's the link so you can watch the video if you have not seen it.

I bought from the site LifeBooster. I was skeptical and worried it wouldn't come but in two weeks it appeared in my mailbox.

I ordered the smallest amount. It was $14.99.

 I bought command hooks at Walmart. 
I bought these because they are clear.

 I cut small pieces of the tape and stuck it into the grout of my brick. I had done a test the day before on the back of my house to see if it would work and it did...stayed all day and came off very easily when I pulled it off.

I stuck up several hooks with the stuff and pushed the vine into the hooks. I had contemplated tying the stalk to the hooks with twine but decided to push inside. I may regret and be taking them out and tying next year because if the vines get large they will burst out of the hooks. 

Any gardeners have an opinion on this? 

There you see it close up. 

So this has been up over a week now and it's doing great. 

Still stuck very tight.

 

I guess as more branches grow - I'll add more hooks.
I guess...I don't really know how this is going to go.
It's an experiment.

 One day the front of my house will look like this!

 This magic tape is amazing. I fixed this little problem too.

I bought this mailbox a year or so ago because the weenies kept eating my mail.

I have a mail slot and it drops to the floor and the dogs run in there and get my mail before I do and scatter it around the house. This has been a problem since I moved in. But one day I was browsing Hobby Lobby and found this antique looking mailbox that was just the right color to blend with my historic house plaque on my porch.
This was the solution to keep the weenies out of my mail.

 I drilled holes into the brick and used anchors to hang it but there was no way to keep the bottom of the mailbox attached to the house. This really became a problem say if I got a magazine or a bunch of mail - the postman would cram it in there and I'd come home finding my mail box about to fall off the wall. Sometimes dangling. It just wasn't stable. It needed to be attached to the wall at the bottom as well. I tried several sticky things and nothing stuck to the brick.

But after I made my trellis, I cut a bit of the magic tape and stuck to the bottom on the back 

and ta-da!!!!

Now my mailbox is very secure. It doesn't move around at all any more.

I have no idea what else I'll use this magic tape for but I bet I come up with some other uses.

 A few photos of the porch as summer is winding down. 

It will be super hot here for at least another 4 weeks. So it will be awhile before fall goes out on the porch. I keep twinkle lights in the lanterns on my front porch year round.

 I love that nest pillow. 
I bought from my sponsor over on the right margin of this blog - 

shop here

This was the first pillow bought from her. 
But I have several that I change with the season.
I'm sure many of you are familiar with her designs. So lovely.

 They are always beautifully made. 

A few cement rabbits tucked here and there.

 My impatiens are doing really well now. 
I didn't have much of a budget for flowers this year.

I bought one group of six impatiens for $1.98 in the spring.

With that one group of six tiny plantings...I've filled four big pots full.

Actually, when I buy impatiens I look for gangly ones...
ones that have gotten long because I 

nip them off and stick the part I nipped off into damp soil in a pot and keep it damp for a week.

At the end of the week...those little cuttings have started growing in the new pot and the old ones are better for being groomed. I do it over and over during the summer till I have lots of impatiens around here. 

linking up to this party

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Of Rain Chains

and such...

 Last week I finally got around to 

hanging my rain chain I bought months ago.

I decided I must have one after viewing them

hung from the gutters of a bungalow not far from me.

I'll show that bungalow below.

I got this rain chain at ROSS for $9.99!

I was thrilled at the price till I went to hang it and realized it

was about half the length it needed to be.

I didn't have a spot for it from my gutters anyway.

Now it hangs from a tree in my front yard. 

I think it makes a nice feature.

I've struggled with bare spots under my yaupon holly 

tree in the front flower bed for years.

The roots are so thick...I can't plant anything there.

I finally got smart and realized I could put containers

on top of the root filled soil.

It's a shady spot so hostas and ferns are happy 

in their pots under the tree.

 This little dragonfly I bought at a local art festival.

He's made of vintage silverware.

 Ok, so here is why I needed a rain chain. 

I happened upon this bungalow one day last spring.

It was just before Easter. These photos show large Easter Eggs

here and there. The trees were just starting to bud out in these

photos.

A few weeks later I was driving buy and 

saw the owners out working in the yard.

I pulled over so fast - they thought I was a crazy person.

I just had to tell them how beautiful their yard is 

and how lovely their bungalow is painted.

 They hadn't taken the covers off their patio furniture yet.

Isn't that the cutest rain chain?

I told them how much I admire their bungalow and 

they said they tried to make it look like a bungalow that you 

would find in Oregon or northern California.

They added the stacked stone.

All the bungalows here have brick rather than stone.

I told them I loved the color combination they'd done for 

the exterior paint.

They said several of the neighbors complained about 

their paint choice when they first did it.

They thought too wild. 

I think it's just right.

The day I stopped the owner had just planted her container

a top the pedestal.
 

A sweet path.

I could have spent all afternoon on this porch.

 The owner planted purple irises in honor of the

previous owner who'd lived there many years.

Her name was Iris.

This house and yard is such an inspiration for me.

The owners have done all of this themselves.

And were full of gardening knowledge.

I was so glad I stopped on the spur of the moment to chat 

and take photos.

 

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Roof Top Gardens

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How is your summer going?

Mine is full of work and not much fun.

I'm working on a freelance design project at the moment which is why the blog has been lacking.

It should be done soon and I'll be back.

I always forget that just about the time I get my back deck looking nice...it gets too hot to enjoy it.

I didn't have time to go through all the Mod Mix Monday entrees so I'll just do it next week.

Hopefully, next week will be more under control as far as my time.

But for now..let's imagine what it would be like to spend some time in one of these roof

top gardens, shall we?

I love the dark floor and dark doors in that one above.

 

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This one I'm sure is in New York City as it came from Martha.

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How charming is this? Lots of roof top gardens. This makes me think how fun would it be 

to fly over my own neighborhood and view everyone's backyard gardens from the air?

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This one is super elegant! 

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Then this one includes everything but the kitchen sink! It's exquisite!

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I'd love to see the apartment this garden is above!

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Love that arbor with the built in chases below.
Many good ideas in this roof top garden to incorporate into a backyard garden too.
I love that tree in the huge pot! 

In spring I always wonder why I get in such a hurry for summer to end...and then we hit
those high 90's and higher days and I remember why we get anxious for fall.

Our best summer days are in the fall!

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