"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Bob Black
writes
I'm trying to grow some bindweed for the purposes of
laying an ardivulent trestle or trellis structure.
Any (sensible) suggestions as to how I might achieve this?

I have a rather small garden so a convactulated approach will
probably be required.

I know it's a very borderline plant in the UK, because it needs hot
summers to ripen its wood for the winter, and does not like
waterlogging but I can 'foster' this situation for now at least.

Bindweed is a plant in the convolvulus family. In its natural form it is
invasive and difficult to control, thus it is not encouraged by
gardeners.

It isn't encouraged by *most* gardeners :-) but I can say that, as a
gardener, I have encouraged it in one part of my garden quite nicely. It is
contained - or should I say it's roots are contained - in earth in a
concrete block wall. Thus the little beast can't go anywhere under the
ground where I can't see it. I have known of others who have encouraged it
also - one friend has it growing in on a pot outside his window which then
goes though a small non paned section of the window into his flat to form a
garland effect around the inside of the window. What he's going to do come
the cold weather I'm not sure - I'm sure I've seen the remains of bindweed
plants huddling together in the winter ? - but it looks quite nice as it
goes.


There are cultivated varieties of convolvulus though which
would do the job very well. Have a look at some online catalogues for
full details, e.g. www.thompson-morgan.com www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk etc.


Perhaps the OP really does want bindweed though ?

For the OP - when I wanted my bindweed in the wall I had dug out the
entirety of my garden (I was making my garden at the time from "unplowed
field" stage) where there was plenty of it. I took some of those roots -
Devil's Guts I know them as - and chucked 'em in the holes in the wall with
some muck (this was last year in the early winter as I recall). And now I
have a nice green garland of bindweed growing though I don't think anything
happened last year through the summer - it just sat dormant I guess until
this year when it went nuts.
I keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't get above its station and
invade anything else. I do in fact train it up the wall and around a gate
post. For a fast growing and (in theory) flowering plant costing absolutely
nothing I reckon it's a hit with me. :-) And insects like it, which is
always a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

However, the friend with the inside garland tells me that I won't get
flowers on this plant as you don't get flowers from root grown bindweed
plants, only from seed grown plants. So he says - I've no idea whether this
is true or not. I'm not sure how this would work in the long run because
surely in order the thrive and possibly reproduce the plant would want to
put out flowers ? but I do know that so far this year there have been no
flowers on it.

Hope that helps abit.


Rachael