THE 'CLOTHESLINE' PERGOLA 'THINGIE'!

WELL, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A LARGE OLD 'HILLS HOIST' CLOTHESLINE YOU JUST CAN'T DIG OUT?  TRY TO DIG IT OUT & FIND THAT THE CONCRETE JUST SEEMS TO GO ON FOREVER .. WELL, THAT HAPPENED! GIVE UP & THEN THE 'LIGHTS GO ON'! .. WELL, THAT HAPPENED!

THE LINE WAS TOO CLOSE TO A SIDE FENCE & EVEN CLOSER TO THE FENCE BETWEEN THE 'HOUSE YARD' & 'THE PADDOCK' ANYWAY .. EVERYTIME I HUNG OUT SHEETS THEY'D GET STUCK SOMEWHERE & THE WIRES WERE ALL RUSTY ANYWAY! I COULDN'T TURN THE HANDLE .. THAT HAD SEIZED UP SOME TIME LAST CENTURY, BY THE LOOK OF IT!

OK! WE THINK OUTSIDE THE SQUARE! YES! MAKE IT PART OF THE GARDEN!
1. PUT SUPPORTS UNDER EACH CORNER & SECURE THEM, SO THE LINE DOESN'T MOVE, .. 2. ATTACH SOME REO MESH PANELS TO EACH SIDE & LEAVE A  GAP FOR A 'DOORWAY', 3. MULCH THE WHOLE THING, 4. PLANT SOME CLIMBERS ON ALL SIDES & SOMETHING NICE TO CLIMB UP THE POLE & OUT THRU THE TOP .. 5. AND YOU HAVE A PERGOLA!

THIS IS HOW IT LOOKED AFTER THE FIRST FEW STEPS .. WE'D HAD SOME VERY LOVELY 'OLDE WORLDE' ROSES IN ANOTHER PART OF THE GARDEN .. PLANTED BY A PREVIOUS OWNER IN A 'NOT SO GOOD SPOT' FOR ROSES .. WE MOVED THEM TO THE CORNERS & SIDES OF THEIR NEW HOME TO 'ESPALIER' THEM GRADUALLY .. THIS YEAR IS THE 2ND GROWING SEASON THEY'LL BE THERE .. AN OPEN, SUNNY POSITION WITH PLENTY OF VENTILATION -JUST LIKE DRYING YOUR CLOTHES! WE ADDED A CLIMBING ROSE TO THE NORTHERN MOST 'WALL' & TRANSPLANTED AN EXISTING PIECE OF PURPLE WISTERIA TO GROW UP THE CENTRE POLE & HOPEFULLY OUT OVER THE OLD ARMS OF THE CLOTHESLINE, TO EVENTUALLY FORM AN 'UMBRELLA' OVER THE WHOLE THING!

                                                     HERE'S A FEW PROGRESS PICS!

AT THIS POINT, I THOUGHT IT DIDN'T MUCH LOOK LIKE A PERGOLA .. JUST A 'THINGIE'!

                                                                 

   UM, NOW IT LOOKED A LITTLE LIKE 'SOMETHING' I'D THOUGHT OF .. AT LEAST!

WHEN SEEN FROM THIS SIDE, IT LOOKED A BIT BETTER & LITTLE MORE LIKE 'SOMETHING' WAS HAPPENING!
WE'D HAD A FEW COMMENTS FROM FRIENDS ABOUT IT AT THIS STAGE 'GEE, ARE YOU FENCING OFF YOUR CLOTHESLINE TO KEEP THE DOGS AWAY FROM THE  WASHING?'                                                               HAHAHA!
WE'D ALREADY INSTALLED A NEW ONE & THEY'D WALKED RIGHT PAST IT!  DERRR!

WE THEN INCREASED THE SIZE OF EXISTING 'GARDEN' & ADDED SOME TREATED PINE LOG EDGING & SOME MORE SCREENING TREES & THIS IS HOW IT LOOKED AT THE END OF AUTUMN THIS YEAR!

WE ALSO BELONG TO THE LOCAL 'LANDCARE' GROUP & PLANT AS MANY NATIVE TREES & SHRUBS AS WE CAN!     

HERE ARE SOME PICS OF THE ROSE VARIETIES PLANTED AROUND THE 'PERGOLA'! I DON'T KNOW THE NAMES, SORRY, BUT ALL ARE PERFUMED! I'M THINKING OF ADDING A SMALL TABLE & 2 CHAIRS UNDERNEATH .. PLUS 2 GLASSES & NICE BOTTLE OF 'FRUIT OF THE VINE'!!  :)

I TOOK SEVERAL CUTTINGS & GREW THIS YELLOW ONE

THIS IS A STANDARD SINGLE STEM RED THAT I'M ESPALALIERING ..THIS IS THE CLIMBING ROSE (BELOW)THAT I PURCHASED, CALLED 'HAWAIIN SUNSET' I THINK! THE THORNS ARE AWESOME!

I ALSO TOOK CUTTINGS OF THIS 'WHITE' TO ESPALIER .. THE 'PARENT' TOO SICK TO SAVE ..

THESE LITTLE FELLAS ARE 'CHAMELAIN' .. A CUTE LITTLE BUSHY ROSE RESCUED FROM POTS & REPLANTED INTO THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE PERGOLA .. THEY START OUT AS YELLOW, DEVELOP A RED EDGING, AGING TO A DEEPER PINK/RED & WHITE! A DIFFERENT COLOUR FOR EVERY BLOOM .. ALL THE TIME A 'CHAMELIAN'! I LOVE IT!

WELL, THAT'S IT FOR THIS PAGE FOR NOW .. THIS SUMMER I'LL POST MORE, AS THE FLOWERS GROW! HOPE YOU ENJOYED!