Rebar For Vines

I have a Star Jasmine vine, Trachelospermum jasminoides that I planted a couple years ago growing up a downspout on the east side of our house. My Rick is afraid it'll eat the house.   Here it is on the left before.

If you've been following along this year you read about my 2 arches that we made of rebar back in Feb. See here if you didn't: Rebar Arches.  For a long time I wanted to make something out of rebar but was afraid of it. I thought one needed a rebar bender or something. You don't. This is 1/2" by 20' rebar and was the middle of 3 sizes bought at Home Depot. I don't remember the other 2 sizes. And it was cheap, only $6.35. All it takes is either two people or something to push against to bend an arch. One day I want to do a spiral something.

So I thought an arch over the gate would direct the Jasmine to grow away from the house over the arch. I ziptied the rebar to the two gate poles on the other side. It's not a perfect curve. But it's good enough for me.

Have you tried rebar? Let me know.

Pentas

Egyptian Starcluster is NOT what I have ever heard anyone ever call this plant. We've just called it Pentas.  Say PENT-az.  The full Latin name is Pentas lanceolata.  It is a tender perennial(meaning it's frost tender) that grows about 4' tall here in SoCal. There are some short varieties sold in nurseries.  My white one is a short one. But the other 3 are tall, bloom almost year round and the hummingbirds LOVE them! And they make good cut flowers for small bouquets as the stems are only about 6" until the next leaves and flowers.  I grow mine in part shade with an eastern exposure. Morning sun is fine. But they might fry in all day sun inland.  They do need some deadheading(cutting off spent flowers) to bloom more.  

   The pale pink one is my latest plant.  I couldn't resist it at Roger's Gardens down in Newport Beach a few weeks ago.  I want to collect all the colors.  I think I'm only missing purple now. I used to  have a short purple but lost it.  And there are some reds and pinks that have a white eye.

Do you grow Pentas?  They're easy! 

Happy Gardening in the Dog Days of August!