Ever since colonial-era homesteaders wove wattle garden structures from unbranched shoots of willow or hazel and set their peas to clamber over rows of tiny-twigged birch limbs, countless generations have used sticks to prop up their plants. Today, homeowners who want to combine beauty and utility can do the same. Connecticut gardener Thyrza Whittemore, reaches for branches pruned in early spring to construct a diamond-patterned trellis for her vegetable garden. Branches are close at hand, easy to fashion to the right size, biodegradable, and free.
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