| | Children love building places of escape. Put little minds to work and construct this hideout with your kids. Show them a range of vines—from floral selections to edible veggies—and then help them choose what and where to plant. Building the tepee and planting the seeds should take about an hour, and the materials are inexpensive, making this a perfect weekend project. You'll need six 8-foot-long poles (such as steel garden stakes) that are at least 1 inch thick, 60 feet of heavy twine (#66438), and 80 feet of clothesline. If desired, use foam brushes (#133411) to apply primer (#45661), and paint the poles so that they blend in with the natural surroundings. A medium brown exterior latex paint (such as Valspar Ultra Premium, Harvest Brown 6009-2) works nicely. Step 1:Line up the poles flat on the ground. Push the second, fourth, and sixth poles out to the right, until the six poles overlap in the center by approximately 2 feet. Step 2:Fasten a 10-foot length of twine to the first pole by tying it in a sturdy hitch or knot. Then, loop the twine loosely around all six poles three or four times, allowing some space between the poles. Step 3:Secure the loops by binding more twine around them at right angles, weaving it between the poles. At the final pole, fasten the binding by tying a hitch or knot. Step 4: Pick up all the poles and spread them out into a circle, forming an 8-foot-diameter tepee. Allow extra space between the two poles that will frame the entrance. Step 5: To form the support grid, string clothesline horizontally around the tepee at 1-foot intervals, except at the entrance. As you work, wrap the line once around each pole, and give it a tug to take up the slack. Step 6: To complete the grid, attach two or three lengths of twine vertically to the clothesline between pairs of poles. Step 7:Sow seeds directly into well-cultivated soil around the outside of the tepee, except in front of the entrance. Train the vines to grow up the poles and the twine. Note: It takes about two months for the vines to cover the whole tepee. Hyacinth bean (Dolichos lablab), a prolific bloomer, covers the tepee shown above. Also consider climbing nasturtium (Tropaeolum, climbing selections), climbing snapdragon (Asarina selections), sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus), or scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), which bears bright scarlet blooms that develop into tasty shelling beans. For a project illustration, visit LowesCreativeIdeas.com/ OutdoorLiving (Project #GSpr074). |
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
First 