Carport Deck Completed

West facing view of new deck over the carport.

We posted this picture a few days ago after completing the carport.  The next step was to create a deck on top of the roof by building a railing around the edge -- adding more usable square footage. While it may not be the best place to hang out at noon, it is the perfect place for morning coffee, evening sunsets and star gazing.

Jade Vine Flower Cluster

The weird "tree scaffold" at the end of the deck was created to utilize a dying Ohia tree.  The 2x4's were painted to match the color of the trunk, with rope strung through the ends to create a trellis.  The spiraling trellis around the trunk will support a Jade Vine plant which has dark green foliage with strands of three foot long clusters of dense flowers. 

Reba and Dexter watching Poko and Dad below.

In a few months,  cascades of purple and blue flowers will hang down from the trellis like a waterfall.  For color contrast (but not pictured)  the foot of the tree is surrounded by large orange and yellow bromeliads.

Jade Vine Xylophone???

OK, what is she doing now learning to make/play the xylophone? No, but it has been a fun project.  You see, we saw this beautiful vine with purple and turquoise flower bunches and decided (in our ignorance) that this would be a cool plant to have.  The abundant blossom strands hang down 3-4 long and create an amazing show.

Then our wiser friends and neighbors informed us that we had bought one of the most invasive vines possible which created an opportunity to decide the next step.  Return the plant for something else, or make an arbor/trellis that would feature the plant's stunning display.

We opted for designing an arbor that would feature the trunk of a dying ohia tree near the driveway that had a sound base.  Of course, it couldn't be just a boring square trellis, so Lunel came up with the idea of doing a spiral....somehow.

We contacted a new friend, Paddy, and discussed the idea with him.  He is a creative problem solver who likes geometry, like Lunel, and together they devised a plan, with Paddy doing the math, resulting in 25 2x4 boards being cut (precisely) at graduating lengths.  These boards will spiral out from the tree into an ever expanding circle, and will be held to the tree with simpson braces.  At the end of each board a drilled hole will be used to thread nylon cord -- providing both stability to the structure as well as additional places for the vine to grow.

We think it will work -- Lunel has cut, painted and drilled the holes.  This weekend, with Paddy's help, we will begin the assemblage.