Peas if you Please, a Simple Veggie Trellis
Ah, spring is here! Can you see it past all of this rain?
Time to start getting the garden ready. I’ve been a busy gal pulling mint, crab grass, and crazy strawberries that have run amok. Never again will I plant mint unless in containers. And I now vow to cut off any strawberry runners that I find from my strawberry plant. The garden was a mess.
What keeps me going is knowing how much my kiddos love eating sugar peas straight from the vine. Each year I make a simple trellis with broken tree branches, bamboo or wire and then I get surprised in July when the peas climb till they take the whole apparatus down. Not this year…I have a plan. Remember this picture from my gardening post in Feb?
The kids and I tackled the pea trellis this spring break. I looked online for ideas and came across this project from vegetablegardener.com. I liked most everything about the trellis. I liked how simple it is to make however I tweeked it… I added lots of color and I used twine rather than wire mesh so it can be easily cut down at the end of the season and it saved me some cash.
First I gathered all materials. I purchased 6 1x4x8 boards and three inch hinges for a total of $20. I used 1 1/4 inch screws I already had laying around in the studio. I also used twine, paint and sealer I had already at the studio. I cut four pieces of wood 3 feet long. Then I cut four pieces of wood 5 feet long. I also cut some feet for the trellis. See vegetablegardener.com for a pdf of the process. I drilled holes for my twine to attach on the shorter 3 foot boards. Then I set the kids to start painting the pieces.
It was nice to have the kid’s help. I also painted the tops of the trellis with “Peas if You Please” and “Mind Your Own Peas and Cukes”. After all sides of the wood was painted I screwed the frame together. Then I added a sealer to protect it from the elements.
You can see here how I made a growth chart for the peas. It has a mark for measurement with little statements like “just sprouts” “tweens”, and “retired”. It’s such a fun addition to the trellis since the kids will have lots of fun measuring the growth and reading their findings.
After the sealer was dried, I then recruited Mr. Wonderful to help me tie up the twine for the trellis. It took a while to add all those strings but at the end of the year it will be a cinch to cut it down and compost it. Then I’ll simply fold and store until next year.
We added the trellis to the garden and planted spinach and broccoli in the middle and then sugar peas by the bottom rails. I’ll be sure to post the grown of the peas for you too!
What’s your favorite thing to eat out of the garden?
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You are rockin’ the garden! This is a project I am stealing right here and now for use in the school garden. The price is right and perfect for the kids, especially if I had all the pieces measured, cut and holes drilled beforehand. Thanks for some fabulous, as always, inspiration!!!
I’m glad you like it Megan and I can’t wait to see what you and the kids create for your school garden. Just let me know if you’d like any guest helpers!