Re: staking the tall ones / withes

Hi Isabelle,

You asked what I meant by "withes".  I'm using it to mean long, thin,
bendable, young branches.  I cut these from the trunks and branches of the
hybrid poplar trees that line our driveway.  I found several uses for them
this year:
1.  I have a few of my clematis growing on 4 x 4 posts.  This year they got
to stretch up a bit because I looped and stapled poplar withes over the
poles, four withes each pole.  No two withe structures look exactly the
same, but all bear similarity to old-fashioned rug-beaters!  The clematis
love it and even seem to grow faster, though that could be my imagination.  
2. I also stuck a withe hoop into the ground next to a young, newly
transplanted delphinium.  I'm very pleased with the effectiveness and the
appearance of that.  3. In another slightly different use, I domed withes
over the top of an old iron tomato cage and wove the ends into the grills;
this has two clematis growing on it.  (At least I suspect these old iron
'trellises' are tomato cages -- they are about 36" hi, 14" in diameter with
straight sides.  They were found in the garage attic of a house our
daughter bought.)  
4. Another use I put the poplar withes to was to support a tomato plant in
a large pot.  Again I looped the withes over the plant and then wove an
additional withe horizontally around the uprights.  I'll be able to add
taller hoops above the first ones as the tomato grows, alternating them
with the ones already in place.  
5. One last use was to weave the withes onto a dark green metal arbor that
arches over a brick walk.  I wanted to do this without 'ties' or wires, but
it's going to look much better if I keep the withes in check, evenly, with
some wire.  This is my favorite of the uses for our poplar withes.  The
arbor keeps the withes looking neater, less rustic, and the withes give
character to the plain arbor.  
6. Oh, yes, and my husband plans to plant a few of the poplar branches that
are standing in a bucket of water (to keep them pliable) and which are
sprouting and growing roots.  (I'm not weaving fast enough.)

I hope I explained these uses well enough to give you some ideas.  Let me
know what you come up with.  Maybe some low wattle fences next; or
sun-screens for newly transplanted perennials.  Something decorative -- a
garden ball made of extra thin withes, to hang or to nestle among
perennials.  And what else?

Alyce Elliott
northern NY zone 4

>I'm very interested in using things like poplar branches (I too have a
>lot of them), instead of having to buy what is needed.

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