Project: Tomato Cage Makeover

How do you make a tomato cage look good? They are basic utilitarian, structures that look best completely cloaked in their supportee. Though I admire their functionality, I secretly detest their look. Every year I sigh at their annual debut and impatiently count the days until they are completely obscured. As I lamented their debut this year, I realized there was something I could do to make my tomato cage look good. This is how I achieved it. Armed with a standard tomato cage, a hammer, pliers, heavy duty adjustable pliers, gloves and safety glasses (rough sandpaper is optional) I set towards my task.

1)Put on gloves and safety glasses (no one likes wire in the eye!). Flip the tomato cage upside-down. Place two feet firmly on the top support rung and brace the whole structure against your leg.

2) Using heavy duty adjustable pliers, grip one of the wire legs about three inches from the end and twisted away from yourself and downward until a nice curlicue shape is achieved. Then using the pliers, grip about one inch from the bottom rung and bend the wire slightly inwards. This gives a more pleasing silhouette. Repeat this step for each leg. Keep in mind that tomato cages that have already been painted or coated are likely to chip or flake during the reshaping process.

3)With the upper portion complete, put one foot firmly on the top rung in between vertical supports, then lifted it up, and pushed it down, bending the wire back and forth. Repeat this step until all the joints break and the top rung breaks free (a hammer can also help with this step). This will create three new legs. Once the new legs are all completely free, use pliers to bend them slightly inwards and if necessary sand the bottom of each leg where the joint was, as it can be sharp.
Don't be too forceful during this step because ideally you’d like to maintain the shape and integrity of the structure. I found gripping firmly at the second rung joints was best. If the remaining joints were compromised, reinforce by wrapping with a finer wire.

If you’re inspired you can also embellish with wire, beads or paint. Place around perennials, annuals and vegetables that need a little support. This simple flip softens any tomato cage and adds a little whimsy to an otherwise Spartan garden standard.