I have researched putting grapes into my backyard (zone 7, NC). I would most preferably like to do a single wire trellis for a Doreen muscadine. I thought I could figure out how to fit in two vines but finding the space is tricky. I've included a link to a scale drawing of my yard if you wouldn't mind suggesting something.

Option 1:

There's only one place to do a straight 20' run that gets sun. It would cut my backyard lawn in half and I'd want the wire low - 2' off the ground or 3' at the most since it would block the view of the woods from my screened porch if it were taller. It wouldn't interfere with walkways and would provide a demarcation for the bee balm that I wanted to plant against the porch anyway.

Option 2:

Another option is to make the trellis in the shape of an L with 10' arms. I could do this one at the 4'-5' height but I'm afraid it would shade out a rectangle of ground that I thought I might want to use for a second raised bed to do flowers or more veggies. Could I incorporate the trellis into the raised bed and just have the trellis running along the east and north sides of the bed?? Maybe the vine wouldn't shade the bed too badly?

Option 3:

A third option is to grow it up one of the two trees that define an entryway into the woods (leading to the fort!) I could mount a support spanning the two trees and train the vines up and across, making a kind of overhead door frame to go into the woods.

Thanks for your consideration. It seems hard to fit in one vine, much less a couple!

Thanks!

Caroline

Here is a link that might be useful: Caroline's Backyard Plot