Garden Tepee

I designed this tepee after watching a TV show describing how to do it. I sent the idea and a picture of the tepee to Organic Gardening Magazine and they printed it. The form for the tepee consists of a round board with holes in it that PVC pipes go through. The pipes are drilled with holes where the twine is attached so the plants can climb up. We planted morning glory, birdhouse gourds and even cucumbers. We planted it for two or three years and then we had deer come and stay and they would eat it, so we stopped putting it up. This photo was taken at the end of the season in a year when our deer friends weren't around to prune it. This year, 2008, the volunteers came up and we have enjoyed the morning glory along the ground even though we haven't put up the tepee since the herd of deer have been overwintering here.