How to build a rustic tipi for climbing plants

Old tools tipi

Those old tools you have lying around in the garage may be too weathered to be of practical use, but consider forming them into a rustic tipi.

Once placed in a garden setting, all that rusty metal and weather-beaten wood becomes charming and nostalgia-inducing. The tipi at left started with a common galvanized steel tomato cage, cut to fit.

This takes the bulk of the foliage, allowing the used tools to be on greater display. The garden tools are simply placed outside the tomato support and tied at the top with twine. Most old tools have handles made of hickory or other very hard wood, so they can last for a surprising number of years.

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