Gynura Procumbens in Garden Pots at the Front Fence - Part 2

(This is the continuation from Part 1)

4. Remove dried up leaves stuck among the foliage. Feel and tug on some of the branches that are still attached on the grilles. Look for brittle and unusually soft ones. Cut and remove all branches and twigs that have rotted or dried up. Now is the opportune time to really clean up the vine on the fence grilles.
   
   
5. When all the identified branches and foliage have been cut, clean the concrete ledge from dust and debris. Use a scrubbing pad, detergent powder and water to scrub away the dirt that accumulated over the years.
   

Gynura Procumbens in Garden Pots at the Front Fence

In a recent article, I wrote how I kept flowering vines tidy on one side (inside) of the front fence and have most of the foliage, including flowers, cascade on the other side (outside).

In this article, I'll discuss how keeping the inside clean and tidy allowed me to affix garden wall pots. And to these pots, I planted a medicinal vegetable/herb called Gynura procumbens or Longevity Spinach.

Techniques for Tidying Flowering Vines on the Front Fence

There's a gardener's saying that goes like this: “The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap”.

The first season after you plant a vine, it may appear to be asleep above ground. Rest assured though that below ground their roots are very much awake. And they are growing larger and spreading throughout the bed in search of nutrients.

The second year, the year they creep, you will see additional growth above ground. This is because the roots are larger and can support a larger plant. Then, in the third year, when their roots are fully formed, the vine will seem to leap, assuming a fully mature size.

Carpenter Bees Pollinating Flowers of Maiden's Jealousy

This little fella and its friends have been frequent visitors to our front garden ever since our Maiden's Jealousy vine (Tristellateia australasiae) also known as Showers of Gold, has started to flower. Every flush of blooms thereafter guaranteed the return of these carpenter bees.

Recently, with techniques to promote continuous flowering in the Maiden's Jealousy vine, these carpenter bees now visit everyday. In our front fence, there could be as many as 5 bees all pollinating the flowers of the vine at the same time. It's no wonder, most of the flowers become fruits.

Techniques for Continuous Flowering in Maiden's Jealousy

When I planted the Maiden's Jealousy vine beside a concrete post with a simple homemade wire trellis, I was quite hopeful to see flushes of blooms like those I see from a neighbor's front fence. The Maiden's Jealousy vine, also known as Showers of Gold (Tristellateia australasiae), seem to bloom year-round with beautiful clusters of yellow flowers that.

The vines were started from cuttings from the neighbors' and I was frustrated that for more than 2 years, the vines have not yielded a single bloom. This is despite the woody stems and branches as well as the lush foliage and vigorous growth. The vigorous growth necessitated frequent pruning because the post trellis wasn't very wide nor tall.

Easy Trellis Starter Tip

Wall trellises are relatively easy to assemble and mount. In a recent project, I attempted to build a wall wire trellis on faux stone panel. It turned out very well and although it posed a few challenges, was actually easier than I thought. The position of the trellis though was higher off the ground because of the way the post was built.

The faux stone panel adorned the top part of the post while the lower part had some decorative side mouldings. Although not impossible, I thought it would be awkward to put some trellising materials on this lower portion of the post. Wall wire trellises are best mounted on flat-faced walls rather than on walls that have ridges or bumps like in this case, concrete moldings.

Build a Wire Trellis on Faux Stone Panel

Faux stone panels have long been used as decorative siding tiles on walls and masonry projects. The tiles, which give the impression of stones joined together, adds a 3-dimensional interesting texture to an otherwise smooth and plain structure like a wall or post.

For some, a structure decorated with faux stone panel tiles is enough. For eager gardeners however, adorning such decorated structures with trellised vines adds the nice green accent of natural foliage to the cold facade of stone. Assembling a garden wire trellis on faux stone panel isn't difficult. It's mostly a matter of knowing the properties or characteristics of faux stone panels, which will allow you to find the suitable wall anchors and their placement on the panel.