How to Cover a Front Wall With Plants

Picture a charming country cottage, and you'll almost certainly envision flowers and vines growing up the front wall of the home. Traditionally, this look was achieved by allowing ivy and other slow-growing perennials to take hold and grow year after year. You can get the same look for the front of your home in just one season by taking advantage of quicker-growing plants and ready-made pieces from the garden center.

Ladder
Hammer
Nails
Spikes
Cotton string
Trowel
Morning glory seeds
Sweet pea seeds
Moonflower seeds

Instructions

- 1
  Hammer a series of nails, 6 inches apart, across the front of your home near the roof or right under the eaves. Leave 1/2 inch protruding from each nail.
- 2
  Tie a length of cotton string to each nail. Cut off each string so that it's long enough to trail on the ground, leaving a tail about 6 inches long on the dirt.
- 3
  Pound a stake into the ground at the point where each string hits the dirt. Tie each string to its corresponding stake, making the string taut but not stretched.
- 4
  Plant sweet pea, morning glory and moonflower seeds around each stake. Choose one flower per stake, or use a mix for variety. Plant two or three seeds at the base of each stake to ensure good coverage of each string.
- 5
  Water the seeds, and keep the ground moist during the growing season. The vines should grow up and cover the front of the house within two months, as these vines are fast growers.

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