Saturday, October 21, 2017

A Lath House For All Seasons


Sometimes garden interests get a little out of hand. One could hypothetically develop an interest in a certain kind of plant, for example, rex and cane begonias. So one buys a few then a couple more and pretty soon the best spots for them are crowded and then there is no more room. So the gardener has to stop buying them. Just kidding! What the gardener has to do is cut down an old decrepit privet (that needs to be pruned several times a year to keep it out of the electrical lines) and build a lath structure. 
First 4x4 posts are cemented in place. Then paint chips are hung so a decision can be made. One by one they were eliminated...


If the gardener is lucky they are a pack rat and have the cross pieces from an old arbor (that was already partly used for a new arbor). The posts are not straight across from each other because that would have meant taking out a camellia that provides beautiful spring color easily seen from the house.


Then many strips of lath are painted before being nailed up. Many strips. Taking longer than the gardener imagined it possibly could. 


Until finally it is time to move the begonias to their new home!








When winter comes and the begonias need to be moved to the nanogreenhouse this space will be converted to a shelter for succulents. A fiberglass cover will be installed part way up the posts to keep the succulents dry so cold-hardy but rain averse succulents will be happy as can be. And the best thing is that there is still room for more begonias. Because the gardener would never build something without planning for that possibility. 

7 comments:

danger garden said...

I like the way this gardener thinks. It seems very familiar somehow...

Kathy said...

And the path already goes right to it! What a clever gardener! It looks beautiful and like it's always been there.

Layanee said...

You can do it all! Love the new lath house.

growingagardenindavis said...

Kathy, there is a children's bench back there too and at one point there was a sandbox so the path was put in many years ago for those. It did work out well!

growingagardenindavis said...

Thanks Loree and Layanee!

Gail said...

That is so cool and a lovely in your garden. I admire your "I can design and build it skills" tremendously. xo

Unknown said...

Both skilled crafting and master gardening...Fabulous