Gardening & Outdoors
Man sick of pruning makes structure & lets vines take over to form gorgeous DIY nature tunnel
This is such a cool idea.
D.G. Sciortino
10.13.22

Yardwork is the least favorite chore on many people’s to-do lists.

One Redditor with the username Rossionq1 figured out a way to cut down on his workload in the yard while simultaneously turning it into something incredibly beautiful.

Rossionq1 lives in a highly vegetative area in coastal South Carolina.

He was constantly trimming the greenery that would encroach his driveway. He was out there pruning several times a week.

Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1
Source:
Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1

“I was fighting a losing battle. Wisteria, wild grapes, dewberry, bamboo… it’s a damn free for all there,” he wrote.

Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1
Source:
Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1

Instead of continually hacking them away, he came out with a creative way to get around the yard work using the vegetation’s rapid growth to his advantage.

He decided to create a tunnel.

The vegetation would grow up and around an arched structure, creating a lovely pathway that doesn’t require constant pruning.

Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1
Source:
Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1

To start the structure, the software and systems engineer created a basic frame covered with netted wire.

As the vegetation grew, it would cling to the wire and spread upward without blocking the road.

The frame was built in May 2022 with metal conduits as its “ribs.”

The structure is lined with chicken wire.

Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1
Source:
Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1

“Each end is anchored to a concrete buried ground anchor,” he wrote in a post. “The plants will have some weight, but I’ve never seen it collapse a branch anywhere so I think the rigidity of the vines is close to canceling out the weight of the vines themselves. So far, it is shifted zero in any dimension (been watching closely).”

Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1
Source:
Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1

A mix of wisteria, grape, dewberry, and bamboo grows around the structure.

It was almost completely covered in greenery within a few months.

It is expected to be fully covered within the year.

“I thought it would take a few years to fully grow in, but at 2 months, I’m gonna say it will be done by the end of the year,” Rossionq1 wrote.

Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1
Source:
Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1

Now his driveway looks like the doorway to a magical land. And it’s working like a charm when it comes to keeping the roadway unobstructed.

“The areas not yet fully covered get some vines creeping in but nothing like before,” the Redditor explains. “Once the leaves basically shade out the driveway underneath, the vines stop trying to grow inwards.”

Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1
Source:
Reddit Screenshot - Rossionq1

The Redditor says it’s built to withstand the weight of the vegetation and should also stand up against harsh weather.

It’s also big enough for emergency and delivery vehicles to get through.

“It’s 12’ wide and 16’ tall, which is big enough for any legal vehicle (I looked it up beforehand),” he wrote.

Pictures of the enchanted-looking driveway went viral on Reddit with more than 29,000 upvotes.

“Dude. That’s gonna be the DOPEST driveway in the country really soon,” said one commenter.

“Next year plant Morning Glories, string beans, and peas,” said another

“You could put in lights/holiday lights when its all done too! It would be super cool in winter!” and another.

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