Metal obelisk or willow wigwam for sweet peas?

happycottontail

I need some help in choosing the right supports for my sweet peas.  I don't want to spend a huge amount of money but I do want to choose something that will look right in my newly landscaped garden.  Any advice - and photos - would be most welcome. This is what the garden looked like last month - and it hasn't changed much since then, although I am planning to paint the fencing today in Cuprinol Garden shades 'Willow'.

 

Obelixx

I once did a day's willow weaving course and made an obelisk of which I was inordinately proud and which I used to support a new clematis.  It cost me €60 for the course and materials.   The obelisk died after one winter being sogged and blown to bits.

I also have metal obelisks in various sizes and they are solid, indestructible and will last for years.   They look good all year round, with or without plants and cost me between €20 for the small ones to €80 for the big ones.    You can leave them rusty as I did to start with or paint them, as I am starting to do now so they will fit beautifully in you very good looking garden.

Enjoy your fence painting.  It should look great.

Bookertoo

Indeed as Obelixx says, the willow will look great with your sweet peas, and last about as long!  Metal lasts longer, how long depends upon what you paid for it in the first place, and of what it is made - but there is something special about organic support for beautiful flowers like sweet peas - either way the flowers should hide it virtually completely so it probabaly won't matter anyway - except to you of course.  

Alina W

I would go for metal, too.

Don't buy the cheapest that you can find - pay a bit more and they'll last longer.

As an interim measure you could use a wigwam of bamboo canes, but you'll need to wrap string or a bit of netting around the wigwam to get the peas to climb well (or tie them in regularly).