On the first Friday of every month, instead of talking about plants, we will look at a simple DIY project that you can do around your home or garden.
There are many types of garden plants that need to have something to climb up, and many more that can be encouraged to grow on a trellis, fence or shed. You could buy something; but it’s much more satisfying, if you have the time and skills, to build it yourself; especially if you can use materials that you have at hand!
Several months ago, a kiwiberry (also called ‘hardy Kiwi’) found its way to our home. It was in winter dormancy so there was no rush to plant it but, a month ago, the new buds started to swell and we knew it was time to get the plant in the ground. Knowing that it was a perennial, fast-growing vine that could easily grow to 2 metres, and at least that wide, we had taken our time before deciding on the appropriate place to plant it.
We already had some concrete reinforcing panels (“reo”) which someone was “giving away”, some 500 mm lengths of 20 mm ‘reo’ rod (left by previous owner) and some 1800 mm lengths of 8 mm “reo” rod (from a previous project) and some plastic cable ties.
A length of the 20 mm rod was hammered into the ground at each end of the trellis and where each panel joined the next. The garden in which the kiwiberry was to be planted slopes away to the south, so the mesh was cable tied to the rod at increasing height to keep the panels level This particular trellis was to go opposite our carport, so the thinner ‘reo’ rod was used to attach the trellis to the carport side beam for stability.
Below is a gallery of photos showing the construction of the trellis and the planting of the vine. Enjoy!
reo mesh panels 
Trimming side edges with grinder 
Panel set out 
1st panel up 
time for another panel 
support leveling 
last panel going in 
last stake attached 
fitting top stays 
all done – time to cleanup
DISCLAIMER: The information given above in this blog post is for entertainment and/or landscaping purposes only. Please do further research if you are unfamiliar with this kind of DIY project.
If you live in the Emu Heights (NSW) area, and have a small DIY project that you are considering but have no idea how to go about it, contact Mark, 0414 304 963, or send an email to info@hillsidehomegrown.com.au to discuss your project. Rates for his assistance will vary depending on how complicated the project is. The initial discussion (up to thirty minutes) and quote (by phone, email, FaceTime or Zoom) is free. Please note: Mark will not do the work for you but he will help you plan, purchase materials and bring the project to completion.
Disclaimer: Mark has over forty years of handyman experience doing projects inside and outside the house, but he is not a qualified tradesman so is not able to give you advice on building codes or regulations nor is he covered by any tradies’ licence.
“You must have a licence before you do any residential building work in NSW, including minor maintenance and cleaning, valued at more than $5,000 (incl GST) in labour and materials.” NSW Department of Fair Trading
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