I suspect that it's just a spin off of the current trend for Green Walls , and Green Roofs. Time was, a green roof was just some lonely, untended roof space that the mosses had moved in on, and the weeds had taken over. And now, people (some really smart people, too) are taking those unused walls, and empty roof spaces and deliberately planting all sorts of stuff. Ferns. Flowers. Vines. Cactus. Vegetables.
I have several empty walls/trellises in the Back 40, spaces with no redeeming features, but where the sun does shine, the birds hang out and most importantly, the deer can't reach!
One such trellis, hanging under the small deck where we feed the birds & squirrels, faces south-east. Good morning sun should make this space fit for some flowering vines to feed the bees, and hopefully attract a few butterflies.
In all the years that I've worked in this garden, I've only seen a few moths, and one Monarch, high in the tree branches.
So this is the plan:
1. Move the variegated Ivy from the shed to this trellis.
2. Find a Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervivens) to plant at the foot of the trellis.
3. Move the sedums from the front and side yard to this space.
4. Plant some blue salvias (deer don't like these), and some blue Bachelor Button seedlings (not sure how these will fare).
5. Make a small mud puddle under the trellis for the butterflies.
Did I miss anything?
Well, with a bit of sun, some compost and some luck there will be Butterfly Spotting happening in my yard this summer.
