Hyacinth Bean Tepee

From the moment I saw this hyacinth bean tepee at the New York Botanical Gardens, I knew I wanted to try it in my own garden. I have poles already. I just had to buy the seeds and set it up. Except for one tiny detail: I don't "do" attractive. I was afraid that it would turn out looking like Kasmira's Blair Witch Project which, in all fairness, turned out to be a spectacular success. Should I chance it or not?

I went ahead and included hyacinth beans in my annual seed order in January figuring I had months to think about whether I want to do a tepee or just grow them on a trellis. I was still thinking about it when I brought out my seeds, seedlist, catalogs (to check flower colors not listed on the seed packets) and tools to plant the border along the Ugly Green Fence.

The white thing suffering from sunglare is my seedlist with all the heights which I had carefully noted last night. It was time to make a decision. Trellis or tepee? I threw caution to the wind and dragged my poles out of the shed. And you know what? It didn't turn out half bad!

There's an iris that probably should be moved and a bunch of other stuff that I haven't a clue what it is. I'm going to give them some more time before I decide whether or not to unplant them. I love that expression. Thanks, Carol! The tiny green stuff are poppies. The idea is that the poppies will grow and bloom while the beans are getting started. By the time the poppies finish, the beans should be well on their way to the top.