Make your vertical compound safe
There are a number of wall climbing plants you can use on your wall fence and these among others include
clematis, roses, wisteria and honeysuckle. However, you need to spray them to keep snakes away. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa
Climbing plants have now become a trend on most fences. These plants come in different types and they can either be trimmed or left to grow wild.
Advantages
Allan Kwagala, an architect with Trinity Constructions Uganda, says most climbing plants help beautify the wall fence. “The green that comes with these plants helps one to have a wall fence that looks good,” he says.
He also adds that it is cheap for one to have these plants on their wall fences since the whole process just involves planting of those plants. Kwagala adds that such plants are efficient when it comes to trapping dust.
For those with limited space to work with, this method may be the only option they have for growing some green in their compound.
Peter Mwesigwa, a landscaper, says there is less clutter if you have a vertical garden because it is out of the way. Unlike with container gardening where the planters may be everywhere: on the floor, windowsill, steps and corridors. Vertical gardening is for the minimalist gardener who wants a more organiSed look.
Disadvantages
According to Mweisgwa, some of the disadvantages of climbing plants is the fact that if not taken care of through trimming, climbing plants can habour snakes.
Kwagala adds that since the wall acts as the soil for these plants, they will weaken it with time. “This will cause the wall to collapse over time,” he says, adding that most of these plants can also lead to some of these walls developing damp patches and mold.
Additionally, vertical gardens dry out quickly, especially if they receive a lot of sun and there is no way to move them and get them out of direct sunlight. Dried up soil weakens the plants which might eventually die out.
The growing space for the plants may also be limited because vertical gardens cannot provide a lot of space for the roots to expand.
A vertical garden can be messy too and thus requires a lot of maintenance.
Make them safe
Mwesigwa says you can make your vertical garden safe by ensuring that these plants are kept short so that they do not harbour snakes. “You can also spray them to prevent this from happening.”
Mwesigwa adds that for a fresh look, cut down the old ones and replace them with younger climbing plants. “This will allow the wall to get a relief and also provide you with fresh and young climbing plants.”
Such plants can also be made safe, by ensuring that they are well spaced. Lack of space between the branches of such plants can be a contributing factor to attracting snakes.
