This is sure a work in progress! With the help of two fellow Wattlers, we managed to cut down quite a few Mimosa trees that were taking over my garage, (along with tons of honeysuckle and other various weeds). The limbs from these trees were from 9 ft to 15 ft long, and quite subtle, making them perfect weaving material. I love the wonderful curve they have helped me to produce in the wattle fence.
I believe my cucumbers, peas, and nasturtiums will thoroughly enjoy their adventurous climb in and out of the limbs to the sky. One poor cucumber baby was actually trying to climb in mid air before the wattle was up, and he finally decided to curl his little tendril around his own stem/neck! The poor baby was choking himself! Whew! Got that fence up just in the nick of time.
A Little advice on Wattling a fence. FIRST post placement is very important. Mine are around 3 1/2 - 4 feet apart, which I find is really too far for weaving unless you have boundless access to wattling materials around 15 feet or taller. This "weave" needs to be at least 15 feet, and around 2 to 4 inches at the thickest part and a bit green and pliable. I have corrected this space in my lower garden, and feel it will make finding the weaving materials a bit easier with my posts only about 2 feet apart. I like to be able to weave through at least 3 or 4 posts to get a good strong hold.
Then just start at the bottom and alter each weave as you would with a basket or place mat. Don't fret over thin tops to your materials, just tuck them in where ever you can fit them. I even leave a few limb sprouts at the tops, to tuck in and out as I go. It really adds personality and flair, as well as stability. On the end post to your left (in the pic above), I used honey suckle vines to tie the weave to my tall post to anchor it all together, this worked quite nicely!
THE GARDEN FAIRY!
Okay, at the risk of sounding insane, I think I have a garden fairy! I was taking pictures of my Wattle Fence for this blog, and happened to captured these images. In the first photo, I see to have captured a purple figure with a misty underneath, hovering in the center of my garden, watching me with great joy. The next image, the fairy seems to suddenly become camera shy, and bolts to the right of the garden, causing it's poor lovely purple head to become pointy!
Okay, believer or non-believer, I choose to belive this is my own personal Garden Fairy. Maybe she will bring good fortune to the garden and help us to produce a bountiful yield all summer!
Anyway, until next week, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Have a great week! Gertie
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