Beautify the wall in the garden with a DIY climbing aid in the shape of a diamond: This is how it works!

An ugly wall in the garden, be it the neighbour’s garage wall or simply an empty house wall, can easily be embellished with climbing plants! They take up very little space and are great for covering walls, fences and other unsightly elements in the garden. Some climb by themselves without having to be tied to supports, but with interestingly shaped climbing aids they can be trained to form impressive patterns along the wall. In this article we will tell you what you need to make a lozenge-shaped climbing aid yourself! We also give tips on choosing the right plants depending on the direction of the wall.

Beautify ugly garage wall – What you need:

60 m galvanized wire, 16 gauge

* Concrete screws

Needle nose pliers with wire cutter

Tape measure

Cordless screwdriver

Masonry drill bits (if you are doing this on a fence you can just use wood drill bits)

Chalk line with chalk

1 tube of clear 100% silicone sealant (you only need this if you are attaching the climbing aid to a wall and not a fence)

shovel

gloves

Pots with young climbing plants

Soil improvers

* Use masonry nails when installing the climbing aid on a brick wall. They are intended to be anchored in the mortar of the brick joints and offer more support. Eye hooks are ideal for softer materials such as wood or facade panels.

How to make your lozenge-shaped climbing aid yourself

1. Measure the area on the wall or fence that you want to cover. This will tell you how many diamonds you will make and how many plants you will need. As a rule, with such a diamond pattern, the climbing plants are planted at a distance of 60 cm, but you can easily adjust this distance if necessary and plant the plants e.g. 70 cm apart. Adjust the distance so that you get as close to 60 cm as possible.

The bottom wire should be 30 cm above the floor. In order for the plants to grow freely, all wall trellises should generally be placed about 5 cm away from the wall or fence.

2. Plan the measurements on paper with a grid to determine the distances and anchor points.

3. Transfer the grid to the wall. You can use a chalk line to do this! This is also the best time to tweak the look of the trellis and make sure you like it. Mark the lowest point of each diamond (where the vines will be planted).

4. Drill pilot holes at each of the points. Here 2 screws per anchoring point are used to lay 2 strands of wire. With two strands, it is easier to braid the vines in and around the wire, and it is safer. But you can also use just a single wire.

5. Before installing the screw, fill each hole with silicone sealant to prevent water from entering the wall. If you are installing the grille on a fence, you can skip this step.

6. Leave about 2 inches of each screw protruding from the wall so you can wrap the wire around the screw. Route the wire taut to each anchor point, creating the diamond pattern, and wrap the wire around each screw to secure them in place.

7. Now you can plant a climbing plant at the lowest point of each diamond. Do not plant directly against the trellis, as this will create a shadow. It is best to leave a distance of about 20-30 cm between the plant base and the wall.

The image shows: Climbing Fig (Ficus pumila)

8. Then add soil additive for better growth and water thoroughly. Water once a week in the first few weeks afterwards, more often if it is very hot. Once established, the climbing plants don’t need additional watering and can survive on rainwater alone.

9. As the plant grows upward, continue to braid the shoots up the wires to complete the diamond pattern. Cut back any diseased or dead shoots.

As soon as the trellis is ready, all you need is patience

This is how a wall in the garden can be beautifully greened

Beautifying the wall in the garden: choosing the plants

The key to success in planting a wall in the garden is choosing the right plant for the desired location. It is important that you think about the climate and lighting conditions before buying. You should choose a plant from the grapevine family. Their shoots are very flexible and can be pulled and guided in such a way that they grow on vertical surfaces. This is also a good option when quick greening is required.

Should the plant be evergreen?

Would you like a flowering climber? Wisteria (wisteria) and climbing hydrangeas bloom beautifully, but are deciduous plants and lose their foliage in autumn. The star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), on the other hand, is an evergreen climber that produces creamy white flowers from June to August.

For a sunny, south or west facing wall:

• Chinese star jasmine (Trachelospermum) – evergreen, beautifully fragrant, hardy to -10 degrees
• American climbing trumpet (Campsis radicans) – deciduous, not evergreen, blooms from August to September
• Chilean nightshade (Solanum crispum) ‘Glasnevin’: light purple flowers with an orange center and semi-evergreen foliage
• Blue sackling (Ceanothus) – Evergreen, blue flowers from July to November
• Crown vetch (Coronilla valentina) – Hardy up to -15 degrees, evergreen foliage, yellow flowers from February to April

For a shaded wall facing north or east:

• Virgin vine, wild wine (Parthenocissus): This deciduous, self-adhesive climber has a fantastic fall color, but it can damage the mortar between the bricks.
• Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. Petiolaris): well frost hardy, deciduous, its flowers give off a beautiful scent from June to July
• Finger-leaved Akebia (Akebia quinata): Also known as chocolate wine and climbing cucumber, this semi-evergreen climber has interesting leaves and fragrant brown-purple flowers in early spring.
• Espalier cup catkins (Garrya elliptica) ‘James Roof’: evergreen, makes creamy white flowers from December to February.
• Rambler rose ‘Albéric Barbier’: This deciduous climbing rose produces spectacular, white, densely double flowers in June and July. The foliage does not fall off until winter.