Many vegetables are like trapeze artists; they can twist and turn high above the ground. These daredevil plants put on an aerial show while dangling from a mere piece of twine. Vegetables, in fact, are actually healthier when they are airborne. Grown above the ground, they are less susceptible to soilborne diseases.

Gardeners with a limited amount of space may want to take advantage of this trait and train their vegetables to grow on trellises or through cages. Some vegetables, such as pole beans and cucumbers, climb naturally, while others, such as tomatoes or eggplants, may have to be coaxed to make the upward push. Plants growing vertically take up much less room, freeing up space for other plantings and increasing your garden's productivity per square foot.

Trellises or plant supports don't have to be expensive. Bamboo is a good example--it's often free. People who have bamboo growing in their yards will probably be glad to let you harvest a little, because it is often considered a weed. Bamboo stakes usually last a couple of growing seasons before they become too brittle.

Build little tepees of bamboo for beans and peas, tying the pieces together with sisal twine. The twine is heavy enough to hold plants yet decomposes naturally over time. Use it in the garden for the growing season, and then roll it up and dispose of it in the compost bin.

Metal rebar (available at home-center stores) works well when building trellises or plant supports. Rebar is strong, supports heavy plants, and is easy to drive into the ground with a hammer. It's also durable and can be used for years.

These supports and trellises are great tools for gardeners. They require a little work to set up, but in the long run they make gardening more efficient by keeping your tastiest prizes up off the ground so that snails, slugs, sowbugs, and ground beetles can't damage them. In addition, harvesting mature vegetables is much easier.

Here are a few vegetables that work really well with trellises and plant supports.

• beans
• peas
• cucumbers
• tomatoes
• Malabar spinach