Floppy flowers and veggies, and most vines, grow best and are better appreciated and easier harvested when tied up off the ground. Here are ideas from around the world.
Colorful tripods for beans make for a nice touch beyond being merely practical.
Tying
Some vines require tying. The author ties Malabar spinach with twine in an English garden.
Wrap-Around
Quite a few vines wrap around supports, in a process known as "thigmotropism" which means "towards touch."
Tendrils
Some vines have modified leaves called tendrils which wrap around whatever they touch.
Twine
A row of posts with twine used every few inches is one of the simplest ways to tie a row of plants.
Tripods
English garden using small clay pots to tie wooden stakes into tripods, with willow branches to help vines start climbing.
Bamboo stakes
Sections of bamboo, with short stubs of leaves left, and painted for extra color in the garden.
Pantyhose
A favorite recycled plant tie - soft and pliable.
Wire Mesh
Sturdy, easy-to-assemble and store, these wire mesh sections can be set up quickly for beans and other vines.
Japanese Grasses
Many community gardeners in Japan use a combination of wire supports and bundles of grasses to both protect young vines from sun and pests, and get them started climbing.
Lattice
Sections of weatherproof lattice used in the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Tripods With Flair
Why stick with mere practical? Simple tripod supports in this Vermont garden are woven with raffia or vines for an attractive look as well!
Woven Reeds
French garden using woven reeds as attractive and practical supports.
Whimsy
This metal "bottle tree" provides a colorful support for a climbing cherry tomato vine.
Bottle Tree
A home-made "bottle tree" also supports a climbing blackeyed Susan vine (Thunbergia).
