Maiden grapes, or, as breeders call it, parcinocissus, are a special type of woody vines used for decorative purposes. To date, 12 species of this plant are known, and they all come from southern countries and the United States. Despite their origin, vines easily take root in central Russia. They are unpretentious: they easily tolerate both shade and excessive light, and are also moisture resistant. There is no need to cover the grapes in winter. A special property that makes a plant indispensable in a summer cottage is its growth rate. In one year, the area occupied by grapes doubles, which makes it possible to create a shaded gazebo, a hedge or simply refine the wall of the house in 2-3 years.
Girlish grapes in landscape design
Vineyards in garden decoration are primarily used to create decorative fences. Many summer residents, gardeners and winegrowers specially plant vines as a cheap decoration for various fences.
It is best if an iron mesh, tightly stretched between two concrete pillars, serves as a prop for the girl's grapes. The main thing is that it does not sag, otherwise it simply will not stand it, and the plant will collapse to the ground, the branches of which will be problematic to attach back to the trellis.
But the metal mesh does not always have the proper aesthetic properties, and the maiden grapes, although they differ in their growth rate, do not grow up to several meters in an instant. Therefore, it is quite acceptable to use a strong wooden fence or lattice, which is installed on solid beams. If it starts to sag, props can be installed, resulting in a ruin-like object.
An arch decorated with a liana can be a great idea for creating a landscape composition. However, you should be careful not to install such a structure near other plants. This is because the maiden grapes compete with the neighbors that are planted at a distance of 7 m from it. And constant pruning to shape it will not help here.
Many designers use lianas to decorate pergolas. This is a kind of gazebo, but without a roof. It is replaced by a lattice fence made of vinyl, metal or wood. The grapes, entwining the roof structures, forms a shady and cozy canopy that creates an atmosphere of mystery and comfort on the backyard. The size of the pergola can be different, it all depends on the surrounding design and the gardener's imagination.
Create beauty with your own hands
Maiden grapes are an unpretentious plant, but this feature depends on the variety and place of planting. On the sunny side, the leaves of the creeper turn dark red, almost crimson, and in the shade, the plant will delight with a dark green, emerald color. If the fickle palette of grapes so indispensable in landscape design does not suit you, then you should pay attention to varieties that are resistant to sunlight. For example, the Boston ivy variety will constantly delight you with its emerald color.
DIY vineyard supports
Sometimes summer residents have an irresistible desire to create, which manifests itself in the creation of large and small structures for grapes with their own hands.We will analyze step by step the device of each of the already described structures with our own hands:
Trellis
The simplest support that was invented for the girl's grapes is the trellis. In viticulture, a single-plane and two-plane trellis are distinguished, which is a combination of two single-plane ones to ensure the best conditions for the ripening of the crop. But for a girl's grape, there is no need for such structures, since its berries are inedible. They are not dangerous for children (the berries have a very sour, astringent taste, which discourages all the desire to try them again), but it is worth remembering that girlish grapes are exclusively an ornamental plant.
Wooden trellis with metal posts
Any structure of this type includes supports, floor beams and braces. The support is selected according to the material: metal or wood. Metal is stronger and more stable, but more expensive. Wood is cheaper, more environmentally friendly, but prone to decay.
As for the diameter of a metal pipe or the side of a square, it is worth buying with a cross section of 3 to 6 cm.It is better to make the length of the supports up to 2.5 m.
To begin with, holes 80 cm deep are dug under the supports at a distance of 3 m from each other. A 3 m segment is the maximum to provide stable support, but not essential if a shorter or lower structure is required for the design of the site. At the bottom of the hole, sand is poured 20 cm thick. After the support is installed in the hole and dug in or concreted, depending on the material of the support.
So that wooden beams in places of contact with the ground do not rot after a year, they must be treated with a special compound or simple diesel fuel. The choice falls entirely on the shoulders of the summer resident. After fixing the supports, with the help of metal corners, an overlap is installed at the top point so that a heavy plant does not collapse the trellis. After the wire is pulled. It is best to do this 40 cm from the ground, followed by 45 cm spacing.
Arches
The simplest arch is a rectangular bar structure with a circular cross-section. Two such supports are installed opposite each other at a distance of half a meter, and slats are stuffed between them so that the grapes have something to cling to. Arches can also be made from plastic pipes, which will be much more elegant than from beams, but under the weight of the plant, the structure can easily bend and collapse. The choice of material to create a beautiful arch support is entirely behind the gardener.
Plant shoots are heavy
Pergolas
The simplest pergola is a small canopy with a living roof. The supports are selected and installed according to the same principle as for the trellis, the distance between them is 2-3 m. Overlaps are installed on the supports, which are covered with metal or vinyl mesh or a wooden crate is made. In a few years, wild grapes will twine around the resulting structure, and you will get a wonderful gazebo in the form of a grape ball.
As you can see, there are a lot of options for using girlish grapes in landscape design, and most importantly, they are easy to implement on your own for mere pennies and without much difficulty in the country.
