So,the first thing we can say about Feeney is that they are fast.  5 days from order to Catalog.  Now, about their Cable Trellis.  They sell two different types:

1. Somerset Trellis Kit

This Trellis looks sexy.  Very sleek and interesting.  It comes in sizes from 4 feet to 10 feet.   Cost is prohibitive: $388 for the 10×5 foot version.  I would basically need 4 of these, running me over $1000 in trellising, which is way over budget.  As well, nowhere in the catalog, does it indicate weight distribution etc. The images always show a Clematis going up the trellis, which is not a good specimen to show weight capabilities.

The package comes in a kit, so the assumption is that you’d get all the screws, bits and clamps you need.

Somerset Trellis

2. Greenway Trellis Kit

Basically an ugly BedFrame turned on its side and stuck into your garden.  This thing is really hideous.  It costs $303 US which is ridiculous.

The package comes in a kit, so the assumption is that you’d get all the screws, bits and clamps you need.

Greenway Trellis

Conclusion: Feeney tries hard, but it’s obvious that they are aiming at an industrial/commercial customer base.  Their product is not customizable and doesn’t seem to do do a very good job on top of that.  I will probably pass on them.

Luckily, I stumbled upon this site which is a clearinghouse of information about cabling organizations:

4 Specs

From that site, I found several sites, all with catalogs and product information.  The one I found the most interesting was jakob.ch/3/

They not only sell cabling, they have a line of products for vines.  Awesome!  Check out some of their product images:

Cabling Again:

I went ahead and caved in, buying a Wisteria, the “Lawrence”.  The Hamilton Horicultural Society in Ontario, Canada swears by them, and claim they bloom withing 2 years.  As well, they are apparently not “Rampant”.  But enough about that, I will write up on my Wisteria later.

For now, I’ve been on the lookout  something to hang this great plant on.  In my previous post, I wrote about some books that discuss trellising for heavy plants like, …well, Wisteria.  Well I found a great site that talks in detail about Wire Trellising.  The good news is they have lots of instructions, and pictures on how to put them up, and what they look like.

The bad news, these bad boys are expensive, and the company is based out of England.  But whatever, a good start for now.  I’ll keep looking and post up what I find much later:

Wall Trellis Business

1. First a link to the site: S3 Stainless Steel Solutions
2. Secondly, a link to a page with Wire Trellis Install Instructions: Install Instructions
3. Lastly, a page providing pricing for wire trellis hardware: Pricing (There’s an option to see prices in US$, so select that)

The Equipment

Ok – so some of this stuff, you can buy locally.  The obvious stuff are the tools.  Amazon carries them here:

1. Felco Wire Cutters: Cheapo Variety is not going to do it.  Need some heavy duty ones.  You can probably pick these up at your local hardware store.

Some Books that talk about Wire Trellises.

1.  Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls – I’ve spoken of this book before.  If you own a Wisteria, and are running it up a wall, you need to read this book.  It speaks heavily about heavy trellising required for Wisteria.  Great ideas, but no “Step by Step” guides.

Enter the book “Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls” By Nigel Dunnet and Noel Kingsbury.  Some good ole boys from Germany who love to talk about vines and roof grass.   Who would have thought there are German Hippies?  Well, it takes a German Hippy to figure this stuff out.  The book is first part – roofs, second part heavy vines.  Most references in the book are related to Wisteria,which is why it works so well.

Google has portions of the book online, here: “Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls”

So let’s get to the data.  Firstly, a chart right out of the back page:

Wisteria Data

• Size: 30 m – 99 feet (difficult to get them to grow horizontally).
• Profile: max of 1.2m – 4feet
• Zone: 5
• Vigour: Very strong
• Weight: light, maximum of 15kg (about 25 pounds) per square meter (1.4 pounds per sq foot).  Although this may be exceeded by weight of trunk at lower levels, which carries much of its own weight.
• Support: vertical supports, round cross section, trellis with right angle mesh.
• Min Height of support: 15 meters
• Optimum width of support: 3m – 9.9 feet
• Distance from Wall: at least 15 cm with the possibility of a sizeable trunk developping in later years at the base. (Up to 1.5 feet thick)

Notes: “Supports need to be of a material whose surface roughness will eliminate the possibility of the plant’s wt causing it to slip.  Steel cable and fibreglass both offer enough surface friction.  … In some cases, vertical cables are actually designed to break at high tension.  the plants are held at the top and firmly rooted at the base, so this does not matter.”

Wall Support Types:

Great page right out of the Book:

Trellis Diagram

Material for Trellis

Their recommending Metal, because it doesn’t fall apart after 25 years like wood.  But these guys are engineers, so you expect them to push “common Sense”.  In my case, I prefer wood as it is so much more beautiful and alive.  Regardless, they make the great point that industrial steel cables are meant for this type of work, are easily available and do a good job.