I wrote a post in the spring about two engineers building a trellis. https://sarasinart.net/2015/04/19/so-two-engineers-built-a-trellis/ It was unfair to this great structure to call it a trellis, cos a trellis is usually one sided. A pergola is a structure with posts into the air, and some type of lattice work across the top. So a while after we built it, I said we should give it a proper name: pergola. It might be a jerry-rigged pergola made from bamboo, re-bar, and quite a few yards of garden wire, but it’s doing what it’s supposed to do!
The middle post has green beans and we’ve harvested quite a few of them. Two on the left and right have King of the Garden Lima beans, and they’re slow to produce: I was eating them in late August and into September last year, and they’re beginning to have lots of flowers now, so I’m not worried about having Limas.
The other two posts, which aren’t nearly as leafy, are Eliza’s Thai purple yard long beans. They are really slow starters and recently I read that they grow best when it’s real hot, like our July was, so they think they’re in Thailand. But we’ve harvested some of them too, and are letting 3 beans go dry to make seed for several people we’ve promised some to. The picture is a thumbnail and if you click it, you can see several of the bean pods hanging down. There were more, but I think Eliza picked some today to use in her lunch at work.
Each group of plants have been going across for a while, over to the side, which we train them to do, and I expect the Limas to go on a good ways cos they got about 8′ last year, also being trained to go over where they were planted.
We’ve had some storms and it stood, we shake it now and then to make sure nothing has changed, and we decided to let it up over the winter cos bamboo is amazing stuff that will last outside for years. So it’s proven itself, and beans are happy there.
Next year we have a plan to dig up under it and plant stuff there, and also expand the garden in some other ways. Gardeners are innovative people; we’ll find ways to grow things, somehow, somewhere…….or as close to everywhere as we can.
Sarasin's thoughts....... 
That’s the best shot I’ve seen of your pergola Nancy-I love it! Glad to hear garden is going well. I’m ready to pull my stuff out and plant a fall garden..I seriously need a break, so hope to do that this weekend. We shall see. This new job is SERIOUSLY cutting into my life. haha!
I wanted to wait till it got stuff grown up on it good before I posted it again. I bet working is cutting into your life, cos you’re used to being retired, for a while now. I don’t plant much for fall; I just put in a little spinach and some peas about a week ago and the spinach is starting to come up, and I have a couple collards started in a pot outside to plant out in the ground. I have the seeds from one Thai purple bean dried and ready for you, and we’re saving another one for you, so I’ll have a few seeds to bring you. And I’m collecting quite a few of those monumental black eyes, so you can have and share for next year. Cos in the spring you’ll be ready to garden and you won’t be working. Seeya soon!
I love watching your garden grow! Thanks for sharing its progress with us. 🙂
You’re so welcome Jackie. I wanted it to get all grown up some before I posted it again. I hope you’re doing well and thinking ahead to get ready for your surgery.
I have to admit that I’m starting to get nervous about my surgery. I have a few more things I need to do around the apartment and then I will be ready.
I know it sound easy for me to say, tho I did just go thru it, but try not to be nervous. If you trust in your doc and your own preparation for how things will be after, hold that trust in your head and try to push nervousness aside. I just got graduated, today, my last regular check back with the surgeon, and they’ll see me in 6 months just to see how everything is.
You are right! I will try to focus on all the preparations I have made instead of focusing on being nervous. That’s great to hear – you must be so happy! 🙂
I am. PT is finally over too. It still has some restrictions about lifting heavy things while reaching out or up, and that goes on forever, but it feels good and works as it’s supposed to. You’ll be saying that after a while!