Creating a fun garden spot for your child will create happy memories and give them a place to play while you work. This summer I tried making a simple bamboo teepee and planting mixed pole beans along the base. It's not a novel idea but it's simple, fun and small ones love it.

The base of the teepee is bamboo (I chose seven 8’ lengths) and burlap twine. We harvested the bamboo from a massive colony at my daughter's school (invasive stuff!), but it can also be purchased at garden centers.

I began by securing four poles first, with their bases planted in a square formation (~3’ apart) and their tops tied. I left around 1.5’ of length beyond the point where they crossed. Once these were tied and their bases secured, I added the other three poles and left a space for the entrance. In the final stage of building, I secured the poles by tying horizontal lengths of twine for the vines to climb up. We finished it off by place a small child’s chair in the center.

Originally I intended to plant ‘Tiny Bottle’ gourds along the teepee, but we lost the seeds and I couldn’t justify buying more with so many bean seeds on hand. My daughter helped me plant and water the seeds. She was excited to watch the beans grow and climb the trellis. It’s even better now that she can pick the beans along the inside and smell the lightly sweet blossoms of the scarlet runner beans. This teepee was so easy to make, and it’s been a real joy.

Eating Ice Cream in the Teepee

The scarlet runner beans have been especially pretty!