I dug up a pole similar to that when i moved into this place. It had a *large* lump of concrete attached to it.
Interesting, around the other pole there is a Lonicera growing, twining around and up the pole; a previous owner must have planted it.
It had been suffering from powdery mildew (it was very bushy - not good for air circulation) so, last year, I cut it back. It was much better this year but not perfect.
Why not buy a huge plastic pot, cut a hole in the bottom and thread it over the pole so it looks as if pole is growing out of the pot? Fill it up with compost and grow plants.
Hi, this is my concrete pole covered with virginia creeper. When the leaves have dropped it looks very interesting with the bare stems and when the leaves turn red its absolutely gorgeous.
Honestly, I just can't be bothered with the huge amount of effort that it would take to dig out the concrete, haha! I suppose I'll just have to dig around it and see how much space I will be allowed in the ground around the concrete ball. It's in something of an awkward spot as most of the other poles around are inside the hedges and this one is maybe a foot or two in from mine (granted, my hedge needs cut back a lot). Maybe one day I will decide that I hate it and take a shovel to it, but for now I figured I might as well try to find a way to work WITH it.
Thanks for the image of your Virginia Creeper, Harmony! The idea of runner beans sounds like something nice to try as well. I'll have a poke in the ground next time I'm out there and think about it. I don't mind pruning back whatever is growing there if it gets out of hand, just don't want to plant something too vigorous as it's not a lot of space for it.
My other idea was the get some of the curved trellis covers that go over drain pipes and put them around it to create a fuller frame work for something to hold onto, but again, it will depend on how much space there is in the grass for planting.
Currently my garden is just a rectangle of grass with a hedge around it and some potted plants to the side. I'm looking to put in a wildflower border and make something more out of it so this could be used as some kind of feature.
That would be good for a clematis support Kyle... I was going to suggest using those dark brown plastic clematis netting you buy on a roll, and cut it to shape to fit to the pole, and tie in... providing you can get a hole dug within 3 foot of the pole it should be ok to train up.. it's a shame to waste it, it's a useful pillar with a touch of rusty character..
I have Clematis 'Prince Charles' up metal spikes.. just needs a bit of coaxing..
Thanks Marlorena, that looks great! I either have to dig it up or use it somehow so I might as well try to do something with it. I'll have to see how much I am able to dig around it and figure it out from there. I suppose I have until next spring to figure it out anyway. I could test out runner beans or sweet peas since they are annual and see what works, then plant something larger later if not. I'm not necessarily trying to cover it, just to use it in some way, but a nice big mass of flowers is always welcome and cheery.
Why not buy a huge plastic pot, cut a hole in the bottom and thread it over the pole so it looks as if pole is growing out of the pot? Fill it up with compost and grow plants.
Also, this is an interesting idea. I could maybe even make a tyre planter (covering the tyre tread of course), or use something similar to make a circular raised bed at the base of the pole. It would save digging and turn it into a more defined feature that would allow more to be done with it. I might go that route if I can't get anything planted close enough to the pole.
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I have Clematis 'Prince Charles' up metal spikes.. just needs a bit of coaxing..