Ideas for new plant support please.

[NigelLO]

Hi All

I hope the collective brains and experience of this forum may be able to help me with a problem.

I am a professional gardener and look after several gardens. One of my customers lives in an old plaster covered listed building. Cloaking the front of the house up to the first floor windows is a Wisteria and Clematis Armandii, Both big and heavy but beautiful mature plants which we do not want to lose. Unfortunately they have now outgrown their vine eye and wire supports which are being pulled from the wall. The outside of the house is due to be repainted soon so the plants will be getting a heavy prune and be removed from the wall for a while.
Can any one please suggest a stronger permanent method of support that would allow occasional house painting in the future. The main problem is that the house plaster is over ancient wooden lathes and therefore not very strong.

Thanks
Nigel

[Steve R]

My immediate thoughts are to concrete in two posts either side of the growing area, a wee bit in front of the tender walls and connect them with wired vine eyes, doubtless you have already thought of that and are looking for something else. The posts could of course be anything ie some sort of ballustrading or decorative finished timber or metal...maybe even a couple of decorative lamps like this.



When you have a solution...do make sure you come back with a photo of the job finished..I for one would like to see it.

Steve...

[JWK]

Hi Nigel and welcome to GC. I can't think of much else except the same as Steve - concrete in some posts (wooden/concrete) in front of the house wall so you can stretch wire inbetween.

[NigelLO]

Thanks for the ideas, unfortunatly we have thought of this but there seems to be a clay pipe running close to the wall less than a foot down. It may be old and unused now but I dont really want to break into it to find out.

The only idea I have had to date is to anchor fine steel cables to the roof beams under the bargeboard area and connect them to a length of angle iron just above ground level that would be somehow pinned into the ground or simply held in place with heavy weights.

The house owner is also trying to locate the now retired builder who renovated the property and replastered large areas to see if he can remember where the structural beams are.

If it looks any good when it is finally done I will certainly post a photo.

Nigel