At the Corner of (Holly)Wood and Vine —

is alive. You can simply cut out the dead wood, working from top to bottom of each vine until you find a live bud or growth. Continue pruning all the vines until each is either pruned back to new growth or to the ground if the shoot is dead.

Vines aren’t the only thing that need annual care. Regular maintenance extends the life of wood structures. “Maintenance is the most important thing — I think about how the piece can be maintained either by us, the client or another professional,” Kelly said. “I tend to take vines off every year or two—taking the trellis panel off the wall—cleaning it up and putting it back. My wife Kimberly is tremendous at pruning things and she likes to see the structure so she selectively prunes. Most people let the vine go and it’s now a tree and it deteriorates the product faster and shortens the life of it as well.”

On your next site visit, analyze the client’s space and consider adding some interesting vertical structures. Stand-alone trellis panels are practical when you want to screen a view. An arbor creates an entry point. And a pergola? Let’s just call it Dreamy Hollywood.