Looking for deciduous vine non-toxic with dogs

Discussion in 'Garden Design and Plant Suggestions' started by LanietheBerner, Feb 17, 2008.

  1. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

    Messages:
    11,417
    Likes Received:
    501
    Location:
    Britain zone 8/9
    Rhizomes ;-)

    Good luck with the search! There should be an Oregon Native Plant Society who might know where to get it, or maybe even have it for sale. . . . yep, the society exists, here's their website: http://www.npsoregon.org/
     
  2. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    4,776
    Likes Received:
    6
    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    You could absolutely expect apples to espalier up that pergola and across it. If you start with yearlings, it will take about 10 years for it to get to the 9' spread you're looking for. Less if you buy more mature trees.

    If you're really into this, for variety you could also try espaliering pears or peaches or cherries, or my personal fave apricots, along with the apples; this would create a really lovely spring bloom and then tasty fruit for the late summer and early fall.
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2008
  3. LanietheBerner

    LanietheBerner Member

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Grass Valley, CA USA
    Thanks, I have located some 3 meter high Gala apple trees, and I will be using these for the base of the espalier and then grafting some other varieties onto the gala stock.

    In a couple years it will hopefully be "apple city", but in the mean time I will be using the hops to provide some shade
     
  4. KarinL

    KarinL Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,058
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Vancouver
    That sounds like a good blend of short term and long term thinking. I was looking again at your pictures again and wonder about the role your little balcony there could be expected to play. It is possible that for really fast results you could put a couple of pots on the balcony and grow vines from there, meaning they don't have to do 9 feet of growing before they provide any shade. Constraints would include whether it is possible to water up there (source, drip, overflow) and what weight the balcony can carry. If your dog doesn't go up there, your choice of vines might also expand.
     
  5. LanietheBerner

    LanietheBerner Member

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Grass Valley, CA USA
    Karin,

    The balcony can handle about 30,000 pounds safely (according to my engineering standards that were filed with the local building department as the front wall is a insulated concrete wall that it 12" thick and it has lots of concrete rebar in it, and able to support 150 - 200 pound people.... Now how I'd ever get that many people up there was a question that the County engineer asked me, which I laughed at???). The balcony is 10 feet across, and 5 feet wide (looking at it from the top, it's a 1/2 circle shape) and possible for us to water up there, as we have water inside the second floor of the house, but I'd prefer to have the beds in the front yard as it makes for a "cleaner" appearence on the front of the house.

    We have lots of people who come by to look at the house, who would like to build one of these houses (it's a kit), and we make pretty good money if we are able to refer a sale to the kit manufacturer.

    These are all really good suggestions and I want to thank you for making them!

    Brad
     
  6. CoryC

    CoryC Member

    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Charleston, SC
    I am looking for a non-toxic flowering vine as well...We have a crazy 9mo old Labradoodle child! I too love the Akebia but also, what about a Passion Flower Vine (Passiflora incarnata)?

    OR a magnolia?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 23, 2011
  7. Shlou28

    Shlou28 Member

    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Us
    Be careful, hops are poisonous to dogs. Issues usually occur when dogs eat hops after they are used for brewing, but if for some reason your dog eats fresh hops I'm sure the results would be the same. Do a google search.
     

Share This Page