Department: Formal
This staking workshop was not much different than last year (see April 13th 2015 post). Enrico produced a comprehensive handout with it this time. This year I helped stake Thalictrum flavum subsp. glaucum. For some Delphinium we did it around just under 3ft high, this was just intend to support the leaves, the singular flower spikes would rise above the foliage. Doing it any higher would make the peasticks too visible. This time we didn't cut them down to size. We tried to cut them to size from the bottom so that when we stuck the sticks in the ground it would be at the right height and would be more aesthetically pleasing. We cut the sticks with a slanting cut so that it would be easier to get them into the ground. Later on in the season if the sticks are still too high for the plants they can be further trimmed down, but by that point cuts at the top wouldn't be that visible.
Alex show us a more weaved way of staking. He demonstrated on a Thalictrum. This method starts the same with sticking the sticks in the ground, they can be a bit wider a part as you bend the tops and weave them laterally. With this method you had to get the estimation of how tall they will grow a bit more precise. You grab a few side branches at a time and keep going around weaving them into each other until there is none left.
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| Photo 1: Alex demonstrating a weaved type of staking. |
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| Photo 2: Another example of another weaved structure - everyone's individual creativity shows in this type of staking. |