Garden Tool Trellises…..

I shared this post back in the beginning of this blog…..

and since this week I’ve been in a gardening state of mind

I thought I would pull it back up from the depths and share it again,

since we have so many wonderful, new friends that may have missed it.

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I love to take something that was meant for one thing and use it a totally different way.  How about you?  At our home and yard the unusual is usual.

When my grandfather died I received many of his gardening tools, plow, wheelbarrows, etc.  I use them to this day.  But some of them have worn out, broken, or in some way become unable to be used as tools.  We have found all kinds of ways to continue to use them in our garden.  This would be a fun project with any tools—but it makes them extra special that they were my grandfather’s.

When the garden rake and shovel began to crack and break we glued them where needed and turned them into trellises in one of the rose beds.

The mandevilla is super happy on the shovel these days.

And the rake is awaiting the moonflower vine that my daughter grew in her ‘greenhouse’.  We are gong to plant it today!

Here’s what you need to make your own tool trellis:

~ long-handled garden tools {the older the better—go yard saling or flea marketing if you don’t already have some!}

~ PVC pipe that fits the handle of your chosen tool

~ small, crushed stone/rocks

~ wonderful vines to plant at the base {my favorite part!}

How ya do it:

1. Cut an 18″ section of PVC pipe for each tool you will be using

2.  Insert the pipe into the ground where you want your trellis

3.  Fill the bottom of the pipe with about 4-6″ of crushed stones/rocks

4.  Insert your tool into the pipe

5.  Plant your wonderful vine!

Why the PVC???  Well, we live in the humid US south—termites outnumber people.  They love it here—so anytime you even THINK of putting wood close to the ground–you have to have protection!  The PVC and crushed stone will keep your tool from coming into contact with the soil and rotting; which also  protects against wood-eating critters.

Another fun option:  if it fits the look of your garden—–you could use old or new tools and paint them!  Fun, bright colors!  Just add that step before you plant them and be sure to use exterior spray paint.  That would be a really fun accent in a garden.  {Just make sure you paint it a different color than the flower that you will be growing on it.  We are in the process of making a gate out of old tools—and we are thinking of painting it when we are done.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Blessings~

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