BKay, the screen is 10 feet tall. It is not along a property line, so there is no city code to say NO to it. It runs north and south. On top there is a simple structure which could carry the weight of annual vines. I'm not planning to cover it with star jasmine which is evergreen here and can become massive and dense. I want in winter to have vines die back or lose leaves, so I plan on some fragrant vines annuals like morning glories and moonflowers--which bloom at night too. Trying to kick things toward night bloomers to attract more night pollinators. The posts are 4 feet apart. The panels are 8 feet tall x 4 feet wide, opening is 4 inches square. Willard, the great installer of the screen, placed those posts perfectly so that each panel sits on half of each post, and then the lath strips cover the seams between panels. I decided on the large squares because of hurricane winds, which could take down a tall structure with small holes, just rip it apart. In my design it is a straight line. It would look attractive I think in a zigzag shape (for added strength) if the space was open and standing alone. Then in the zigs and zags, tall columnar cypress or pencil holly or conifers would look nice. The zigs/zags could create a bit of shade too, if you did not have a north/south orientation precisely. Because my screen runs almost north and south, blocking western sun. When I was talking with Bruce Banyai about creating shade, he said he taught a course at Hosta College on the subject. Of course there is always the instant solution of shade cloth where immediate results are required. He also recommended buying the large cheap trees from Lowes etc and keeping them in containers to provide shade. Quick growing trees that can take your climate, but can be removed before they get so big they are a problem. I lost my potted palms last winter, also the ficus benjamina that was 8 feet tall and had done shade duty so nicely. Now I think a couple of the cheap reduced-price trees are a good idea. I am watching Lowes for some good choices. And, Phil, yes, bananas are a nice shade solution in my climate. They grow quickly, can be very dramatic, and they sometimes are dormant for the winter. There are varieties which survive in colder climates, but need the stems wrapped and roots kept insulated. I'm about to try one in a big pot on wheels so I can move it inside my Teahouse for colder weather. And Spanish moss, I know it is on the Georgia coast and in Savannah, but do not know how much further north it thrives. Perhaps not in the mountains where you are? It is a great insulating material on top of pots, and it provides nesting material for cardinals. I see them picking at it like a plate of gray spaghetti. The moss is a member of the tillandsia family of air plants, not attaching itself to the plant/tree nor taking nourishment from it. It even has blooms, which are sort of brownish lip colored the way native sweet shrubs look. It particularly likes live oaks which give it permanent shade and some moisture because those oaks have a way of "weeping" . Thank you for complimenting the design. I love the way it comes together. Not being a formal person, I like to bring different elements together in unexpected ways that are personally satisfying. And, BKay, I am very relieved, and pleased, to hear that Squash Casserole is doing a good job for you. I had hoped that would happen. After months of looking good, it is still pretty here too, and so is the NEW one I got this spring. AND, all of her sports are looking good too. I'll try to feature them in a new thread later on. Right now, I have potting to do. And splitting a green sport off of Stargate before that streaker turns all green on me. I sometimes think streakers are a big pain, so demanding of attention. Nothing like SCasserole, which only demands light and lots of WATER.

Was attempting to pick a gallon of blackberries today and wasn't getting anywhere since they are so small with it being so dry. I spotted something white in a the middle of a large bramble and leaned way way over the top of the vines to try to figure out what I was seeing. Another turkey nest! It had been empty a while, but this makes a total of four nests that I found this spring. I had originally assumed that the hen I have been seeing in the yard with youngsters in tow must be "our hen" but now I really couldn't say for certain. THe chicks are generally a loud and unruly bunch, and they choose to fly rather than run if you get too close. They are about as skilled at this as robins that have been out of the nest a while, and if something caught them out in the open I doubt they would have much of a chance unless they managed to gain some altitude quickly. WHen you see a flock crossing the road it almost seems like a turkey is chumming around with a large covey of quail because the youngsters start and stop in a nervous kind of way and then just go streaking past their mom. I guess their legs being so much shorter makes flying a better option over running in the woods just yet.

Sure is an odd spot, but then they are famous for odd spots and flimsy nests! My mother buys hanging Boston Ferns each year for her porch, and there is a Mama Dove that always comes and puts her nest smack in the middle/on top of one of the ferns.

I have a pocket of oak trees in my front yard that is home to many creatures. We had a hawk in our tree one year and that bird was such a messy, wasteful eater- dead birds and squirrels everywhere. I put up an eagle decoy and moved it around but it didn’t do much. The hawks moved to the neighbor across the street the next year. And then to the neighbor next door after that. IDK if it’s the same bird or maybe there’s more than one bird/family. They do flybys and hunt in my yard but they dont live in it anymore. I thoroughly enjoy watching this little microcosm of forest life...most times. The kids were yelling one day to come look at the window. A heron was in my little backyard pond and was eating my fish like it was a buffet.