My plants are pining for vining and just can’t wait any longer. So in addition to the arbor that just went up, David whipped up a trellis for our oddly shaped concrete retaining wall out back. Remember that massive thing?

Measures about 6’10 high at one end and just over 2′ at the other end. The usable wall face is roughly 14′ wide. The crazy insane slope and our pickiness made it impossible to find the perfect trellis, which essentially meant make one. David picked up copper tubing at the hardware store — the heavier walled Type M.

Then he broke out the graph paper…

I can only assume the question marks in his mad genius calculations are an indication of chaos theory. After that, he moved on to real-world application…

He soldered the tubing together one joint at a time to create a frame for the trellis. Dudes dig fire…

After that, he drilled holes into the concrete to attach the trellis frame to the wall. Not easy…

Keeping it level was a challenge but it all worked out…

David DIYed some brackets out of the same copper pipe. Clever boy…

Then drilled holes through the pipe and used 3/32″ steel wire to oh-so-patiently create his trellis grid…

And look — DONE!

Simple. Ish. Minimal. Love it. And to adorn his new creation…

Rubus henryi bambusoides (also called Rubus henryi var. bambusarum). From China, the leaves resemble bamboo…

… although it’s actually a bramble, like roses, raspberries and blackberries (all related). Tiny thorns. Small pink flowers. But it’s really all about the foliage. Planting this is kind of an experiment as I’m not sure it will be hardy here in New England, although it appears that Arnold Arboretum may have had some success growing this. We’ll see. Should it not return next year, I can always move my Akebia quinata Shirobana here. Nothing kills an Akebia.

Remember a few days back when a tall, handsome garden gnome showed up in our yard and knocked together that arbor? Well, he returned, worked his gnomey-is-to-nub-me magic again and now the arbor is installed. Yay!

Graham worked up a sweat digging post holes 3′ down…

Note his precise motions into the hole. There was much repetition…

Holes primed, it was time for insertion. Of Sonotube. G-rated…

David added longish bolts to the ends of the arbor posts…

Graham whipped the concrete to a froth. Of a sort…

Then, um, the holes were filled to the top with the stuff…

The boys set the arbor into the mixture. There was hardening…

And then everyone smoked a cigarette…

Meanwhile, in the wings, my vines have been waiting…

One of my passion flowers (passiflora cereulean) has already started to bloom. Look at that! Like a daisy in a grass skirt! Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds LOVE these. Native but not perennial here in New England, it seeds freely and returns year after year.

Also planting hyacinth bean vine, which starts looking really good in the heat of summer. The dark purple beans in the fall are what I really love. A nice companion for the passion flower and another great butterfly attractor…

hyacinth bean vine | dirtdoctor.com

And last but not least, as I’m always one to cram way too many plants into one spot, I have an akebia quinata ‘Shirobana’…

akebia quinata shirobana foliage | pendernursery.com

akebia quinata shirobana flowers | ubcbotanicalgarden.org

Only flowers for a few weeks, as I recall from my last garden (3 years ago!), but the foliage is bright green 3/4 of the year and has that Asian look I’m going for. I suppose if I were to plant just one vine it would be this one. Just really, really pretty and people always ask what it is.

So anyway, I’m thrilled to get the arbor up. And the next morning, no regrets.