Living walls

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Each summer my verandah grows its own walls on the west and north-west.

Although the ornamental grape and the wisteria have been pruned right back to leafless woody stems, come spring they begin to reach out for each other and interwine.

By Christmas they have made dense, multi-layered walls of greenery that keep my verandah shaded, cool and dry.

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Just like man-made walls, they incorporate a window and a door, although if I am away for more than few days I return to catch them trying to fill in the gaps, tendrils searching across thin air for the other side.

Apart from their practical function, unlike shadecloth for example, they are beautiful and varied in colour and form.

And they’re free!

5 thoughts on “Living walls”

  1. I have real grapes over a western facing pergola and I am sure the shade from them in the height of summer is much cooler than to shade cloth we had while the vines were growing. It’s a bit of a struggle but we get grapes as well.

  2. That did occur to me, but I dare not mention it. So far only bees, butterflies, and lots of small lizards have ventured into mine. I see snakes going from on flower bed to another and across the grass, but only once have I had a dangerous one that I have known about near the house… a rattlesnake. I have a stream going through and it’s a perfect place for any creature, good or bad, who needs a cool place in summer. My steps are careful ones all the time.
    DWG

  3. Quite a contrast to the python panic scenes!!
    Quite restful and peaceful and this time of the year I too look forward to my vines again. The Native Virginia Creeper (I’m not in Va.) is a beautiful vine that turns the shades of Fall and the Hyacinth Bean Vine has beautiful blossoms and beans in shades of purple and just create such privacy. They should return to me in the next three months when our Spring starts. Thanks for sharing this beauty!!
    DWG

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