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A few fairly simple, reasonably inexpensive ways to create height in a flat garden.
I love where I live. I love my gardens as well, but they are FLAT!!
Over the years I have come up with some reasonably inexpensive and creative ways to add height to my gardens.
The photo to the right is a very good example. Well placed poles scattered throughout the gardens give wonderful height. Plant the poles with hanging pots or let a vine climb up them. The poles I have are cemented into the ground since we have a problem with frost heave. I must thank dbsmith2 for his beautiful photo and example!!
Another good idea, thank you GranvilleSouth for the photo, is to use a rotary clothes line. You know the ones, they unfold like an umbrella and can be stuck in the ground. These are wonderful for climbing vines. They can be made even higher by affixing them to another, slimmer pole since they are often hollow.
Arbors. Planted with vines or climbing roses they can create nicely scented height in any garden. Arbors can be further decorated by placing raised beds at their bases. Hanging pots can be hung from their corners. As an added bonus, put a bench under the arbor for a quiet place to relax after a hard day of weeding. Thank you rcn48 for the arbor photo and victorgardener for adding a convenient bench. Arbors come in many shapes and sizes, they can be home-made from any materials at hand or store bought fully assembled or as a kit. A gardener can easily find a suitable shape and size to fit any need.
Old television antennae's are another cost efficient way to add height to a flat garden. They can be used in the same way the poles above are. Bury and/or cement them in deep enough to be stable and plant away. I like them for Honeysuckle and Morning Glories.
Trellis. A trellis does not have to be up against a wall. I built one right out in the open. Standing a little over 6 feet high, right in the middle of my longest perennial bed. The trellis is planted with Clematis and Morning Glories. It creates a break along the sight-line of an otherwise very long, flat garden.
Garden benches and little tool sheds can also help create height. There is a fellow here in town that makes the cutest tool sheds out of old barn boards. He builds them to look like outhouses of old. The garden bench in the photo was built by my Dad. There are hooks on each corner for hanging baskets and trellis on the sides and back.
There you have it. Some ways to add height to any garden and much easier than moving.
Bushes and trees can also create the desired height. I have Mock Orange, Snowball and Lilac bushes. A couple of Red Maples. Too many bushes and trees though will cause another problem. Too much shade. I happen to like the full sun that my gardens receive. The ideas mentioned above create height without causing too much shade.
Hopefully some of the above ideas will inspire a few readers. They look good, are easy on the pocketbook, and will give you an excuse to buy more plants.
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About Lee Anne Stark
I am an avid gardener who shares my gardens with 2 other equally avid gardeners. I garden for fun and relaxation, never paying attention to the rules!! During the long, cold winter months I occupy my time playing with over a hundred house plants, my six cats and two dogs.
Posted by Gary_Moran (from Pompano Beach, FL) on April 15, 2008 at 5:09 PM:
Hi Lee Ann,
I found your article quite interesting. As a Landscape Designer in flat South Florida, this is an issue we deal with alot. You have used some great techniques. I thought you might like to hear of a few I have tried. I have used bamboo poles to make trellises and single poles for climbers like you have. Bamboo can be easily drilled and members can tied together with copper wire and an electrician's pliers. The copper which will definately last and develop a green patina over time. Caution should be used - bamboo will rot if sunk directly into the ground but is long lasting above it. It can actually be sleaved over pressure treated posts or held on concrete piers with metal fasteners much like deck posts. It can give a tropical look but it is also a temperate zone plant and its look can be used with a varied garden theme.
A vertical garden can be made on existing trees or any other vertical surface.
We have supported vines by using clear monofiliment fishing line secured by hooks screwed into the bottom of facia boards on the house. You don't see the trellis - just a load of flowers that cover a wall.
Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Gary Moran, FCLD
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Posted by quiltygirl (from Wildomar, CA) on April 15, 2008 at 7:56 PM:
We live on 1.5 acres of FLAT, mostly tree-less dirt. 2/3's of it is dirt "pasture" for horses & goats. I would love to get extra dirt to build berms and mounds, but since am gardening on the "cheap", can't buy it. My butterfly bushes are 7ft now and getting taller and I realize I finally am getting some shade! I took one of those real estate for sale posts and use it to hang bird feeders and solar lamp with plants and vine at the base. LOL, teen daughter said it looks like trailer trash, I say the white matches house trim and looks "cottagey". Still need more ideas though...
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Subject: Height
Posted by DriftingDude (from Charleston, SC) on April 15, 2008 at 5:17 AM:
Those are good ideas there. Thanks for the information.
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Subject: Adding height
Posted by dbunnee (from Youngstown, OH) on April 10, 2008 at 9:04 AM:
Last summer I really enjoyed my combination of butterfly bush and hibiscus. It added a little height in a too flat garden. Thanks for the pole idea. You could fit that in anywhere.
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Posted by Pamgarden (from Central, VA) on April 10, 2008 at 10:29 AM:
I've enjoyed your other articles along with this one. Please keep sharing your ideas
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Posted by nanny_56 (from Putnam County, IN) on April 10, 2008 at 11:59 AM:
This is something I need to do in a bed along the end of my 2 story house. Thanks for some great ideas!!
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Posted by psychw2 (from Boise, ID) on April 10, 2008 at 12:31 PM:
I loved your article! Thank you for sharing some beautiful pictures and ideas. I have a "rickety" old ladder I have added, some kitchen chairs & recycled posts to mount birdhouses on. At a previous house, I had a beautiful arbor my Dad made for me out of rebar. I had him leave ONE post really long & welded a metal Pixie to the tip. On Trash to Treasure their is a cool arch made out of an old trampoline hardware. So many ideas... so little time!
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Posted by Jax4ever (from Boxford, MA) on April 10, 2008 at 12:46 PM:
I found a great aid in using cheap tiki-torch stakes as stake bases! It will allow you to use heavier dowel rods to create supports. they're about $1 at WalMart, and lumber stores can cut dowels to any height you want. I paint mine and mount bird houses on the top. To create more climbing room, I attach pieces of green wire fencing to the dowels w/a staple gun.
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Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 10, 2008 at 1:30 PM:
Great ideas, great article, thanks.
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Posted by Lenjo (from Mount Angel, OR) on April 10, 2008 at 2:26 PM:
Thanks for some great ideas, I too garden in the flat. So this is very timely.Joann
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Posted by oriole (from Mifflintown, PA) on April 10, 2008 at 7:41 PM:
Thanks for another great article.Lots of good ideas.
quiet place to relax after a hard day of weeding. Thank you rcn48 for the arbor photo and
victorgardener for adding a convenient bench. Arbors come in many shapes and sizes, they can be home-made from any materials at hand or store bought fully assembled or as a kit. A gardener can easily find a suitable shape and size to fit any need.
