Seeking arbor inspiration

Hey guys!

I'm looking for some inspiration on arbors- especially those that you have made/built yourself. I have several places to put some, but I'm drawing a blank as to what exactly I want, especially for areas that would need a more narrow arbor...narrow as in just 2 posts and a top (due to space constrations with trees in the way).

So- show off those arbors, please :)

Thanks!

Trish

Trish, I haven't seen your location, but two posts will fall down from the wind, unless cemented (not in soil) in for strength. Even two posts (4 in all) close together will give vines the ability to climb easier.

http://www.grovestreet.com/jsp/onepic.jsp?id=461523

Thanks golddog- naturally they will be cemented it :)

I am concerned about the plants ability to climb only one post, however.
We've built arbors in the past- I'm just needing some inspiration this time around.

Show off those arbors!

Trish, I don't have any photos, but in order to grow vines up a wooden post (4X6's I believe), I put in two rows of nails and then used high strength fishing line in a formation similar to lacing shoes. The fishing line was not noticeable, but gave a foundation for my Moonvine to grow up.

here is one that my dh and i made for the wisteria

here is a side view i posted long ago
http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=34231

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ARBOR PLAN A

ARBOR PLAN B

ARBOR PLAN C (This one has just one single post)

Great stuff everyone. Anyone do the copper piping ones? I want to give that a try and I've seen the threads here discussing them. Do you have to cement those in too??

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Thanks lilypond- I do have a nice collection of plans found online, but I need some inspiration from real gardens :)

Thanks dori- I pulled that one up with a search yesterday. along with those 2 Dave built for me in TN.

Good tip, nathalyn. Dave and I were discussing that those post/post/top types would be fine for vines, but probably won't be able to handle something heavier and more spralling such as a rose.

Naturally, I want what I can't have- LOL. That tree may just have to go yet!

Do any of you have info on how to build your own from natural materials? I want a twig or grapevine trellis, but I'm not sure how to build one.

My DH built this arch/arbor for me this fall. I actually designed it... as you can tell I'm not the most creative person. Oh well, it's simple and it's mine. It is made out of square and rectangular tubing and painted a sage green to match the fence that will eventually go around the whole front yard. This years project will be to expand the planting area on either side of the arch/arbor and get some plants in the ground. I'm thinking about a climging rose on the side next to the house.

Here's another view while under construction, looking to the front yard.

Ally_UT, that looks mighty fine to me! Do post a picture when the plants are enjoying it :-)

Anitabryk2, it might depend on where you are if you need to cement things in. It's pretty normal for us to get windy days with gusts to 45-50 MPH - everything is cemented or bolted down around here. 20 gallon pots with small trees in them blew down last fall.

My DH says you can bend copper tubing with the "conduit benders" that they sell at home depot and if you "spary paint" the part that goes in the ground with polyurathane, that part will last longer (and not get that nice copper patina). (Spray the inside of the pipe "feet", too.) Ok, hope this makes sense. Not thinking in English very well (and that's my native language!), LOL :-)

Hi Trish,
If you just want simple/easy/cheap.... cattle panels. They're 54 inches wide and 16 ft long, make a nice arch when bent, plus are very sturdy, you can cut to whatever width you want. If you're going to have it completely covered with something, the actual arbor itself isn't going to show anyway.

You'll just need something to anchor to the ground--rebar works well. The panels cost about 16 dollars each, and you could easily get 2 wider arbors, or 3 narrow arbors from each one. :-)

We just made a hoop house out of 3 cattle panels we already had here. Super super easy to work with, and what I plan on using to make a green bean arbor out of. :-)

2 posts and a top. All we have to show is the one we've "de-constructed". It's a single post structure with a cross beam top, but we won't put it back up til we move :(

Here's kinda what it looks like if you would only use one segment of it - no, this is a photo from fine structures, not my photo and yes, ok to share. We only used 2 x 12's on the top and our posts are a lot thinner before attaching the decorative cutouts. I'll show you it de-constructed in the next posts.

Dea

Here are the cut-outs. Excuse the basement! They look a little rough now, but once re-painted they really do look great.

Here's what our posts look like, this was the piece we couldn't make ourselves, maybe you and Dave can handle, but we found ours at a local woodshop several years ago. They're just plywood, but have held up well. Again, they're much thinner than in that photo.

And of course, the plain old 2 x 12's that stick it all together :)

Melissa, Do you have a photo pf how you used the cattle panels? Also, how did you bend them? Thnx.

Someone in the brug forum had posted some last year. I want to say it was Brugie, but I'll have to look. I plan to do some with cattle panels too but have not thought about design yet. They are my temporary hoop house at the moment. LOL

Here is the thread about my hoophouse. We've not done the arbor yet, but just by doing the hoophouse, I can tell how easy it's going to be.. and we used cattle panels that had actually been used by cattle. LOL so one of them was really bent. It still went into place well.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/581839/

That's impressive work Melissa - and you to Badseed :)

Dea

Dea, it's so easy! I called Chele as soon as we got ours into place and said, you have got to do this! It was just amazing how easy it was. :-) I had hubby, Chele did hers by herself! :-)

Thanks Dea! I was so glad Melissa decided to do it first. I had thought about it awhile and was going to go with pvc. Melissa got hers up just in time to sway my decision. LOL Now I can cut them in half lengthwise and do arbors once it warms up.

Here is mine made of apple tree branches.

Starzz, oh I love that! Very pretty.

Materials for this one ...........
1. cattle panel @ $17.00
4 pieces of rebar for corner stakes
zip ties

I pounded rebar into the ground at each corner on the outer side and just used the zip ties wrapped twice around before zipping to hold it .


One panel for a arch/trellis I planted with air potato vines.

I made it 6 ft wide so it is plenty tall to hang a hummer feeder inside.

Pinetucky..thanks..it looks neat when it is covered in clematis and or Morning Glories.

Great idea Scooterbug. It looks so lush.

hee ......... can also look lush-cious when planted with tomatoes or other vining crops.
I have never had one blow over plus they are easily moved .

Plants benefit from growing on metal . It is said that it attracts rainstorm's ion charged air and feeds the plants .

Common Straight 8 Cukes grown like this get 2 ft long .

I'm doing one with gourds this year.

I like Starzzz, bee-yoo-tiful! I always make them save the branches if anything useful shows up but it's never apple branches, more like old Christmas trees. Anyway, I've got plenty of 'browns' if I ever manage to get a compost pile going....

xxxxxxxxxx, Carrie