toddler tipis?

[hildare]

anyone make a frame house of branches or a tipi for a toddler to play in?  i need to do this soon, and think i might use gourds.  does anyone have good advice for the structure? 

[Owen'nZoe]

Fun! We've had bean teepees for a few years years. I used 6 foot tall bamboo poles, and tied them together with strong twine, then spread them out into a teepee. You'll need to stick or dig each pole into the ground by a few inches, or the structure will fall over.

For the plants, you have a much longer growing season than we do, so maybe this won't be an issue, but I'd recommend a fast-growing vine. Here, the summer was 2/3rds over before our bean vines covered the teepee. Last year I finally ended up putting in a grape vine, which will cover the teepee much faster, since it comes back every year.

Good luck! Hope you have fun with the project!

[springmum]

We did beans up the bamboo structure too. Only I did them more in a tunnel...we have lot's of room in the garden for the tunnel though. It was great, definitely mulch inside so you don't have to worry about the weeds in there (and it will make a cozy little spot to sit.)

Originally Posted by Owen'nZoe 

Fun! We've had bean teepees for a few years years. I used 6 foot tall bamboo poles, and tied them together with strong twine, then spread them out into a teepee. You'll need to stick or dig each pole into the ground by a few inches, or the structure will fall over.

For the plants, you have a much longer growing season than we do, so maybe this won't be an issue, but I'd recommend a fast-growing vine. Here, the summer was 2/3rds over before our bean vines covered the teepee. Last year I finally ended up putting in a grape vine, which will cover the teepee much faster, since it comes back every year.

Good luck! Hope you have fun with the project!