Green Wall Espalier

When we updated our porch, we considered wrapping the bannister around the back side of the swing, but it would limit the mobility of the swing almost completely because of the space taken up by the wood. So, we looked for alternative options that would be minimally intrusive on swinging space and still create a firm barrier for the edge of the porch so that puppies and people don’t tank off the side.

I came across a number of trellis ideas on Pinterest. I saved a few before I realized I wouldn’t have to build the frame but instead could simply add wire and use the porch itself as the frame! I googled until I found out that there are specific trellis styles and that the one I liked best (Parsley and Pom Pom’s image in the top left here) was called Belgian espalier. It felt like a perfect fit since our last big international trip had been to Belgium and we fell in love with the lush gardens in the countryside.

We decided to go for it. You may be surprised to know that the person in our house with a math learning disability (dyscalculia!) is also the person who loves to do all the measuring and designing and math-ing: me. I drew out the plan, measured three times and labeled all the pieces before I called Jackson out to help me.

With a few eye hooks and some 1/4” cable, we laid out a perfect diamond grid.

Next step is sourcing the Swedish ivy plants for the base. These are nontoxic to dogs (we can’t say the same for English ivy) and are evergreen climbers, so the porch espalier will stay nice year round and provide a little extra happy for me in the winter in addition to keeping that side of the porch from being a drop off.