Wildcrafted Garden Structures: Making Bentwood Trellises, Arbors, Gates, and Fences

Gardener Long (Herbs 101) delivers an innovative guide to crafting bentwood garden structures, a technique that involves bending and nailing together tree limbs to create trellises, fences, and gates. To locate wood, Long instructs readers to grab trimmings from their own yard, look for downed limbs after storms, and inquire with local farms and nurseries. The wood should be freshly cut (no more than 24 hours before beginning a project) so it doesn’t lose its flexibility, he explains, noting that suitable trees include ash, birch, and cedar. Long’s basic trellis design involves nailing long tree limbs to form a rectangle and bending the top into an arch. Crafters can bend wood pieces to add intricate designs, like hearts, lattices, and loops. Gates can be created through a similar process, with the additional step of latching the structure to a post. Other projects include a fence with a setting sun design, a craftsman-style arbor, and a bamboo tower. Elsewhere, Long recommends edible and decorative vines to grow on trellises, like cucumbers, sugar snap peas, and honeysuckles. Filled with aspirational photographs of beautiful finished projects and helpful illustrated instructions, this will inspire gardeners to add a handmade touch to their outdoor space. (June)