Livestock fence panel trellis photos

Have seen a few requests for photos of arches and trellises over the years. I figured I might as well make a post to show photos of the ones I have made out of livestock fence panels. The livestock fence panels are used by ranchers out here for holding pens and corrals. They are easily welded on to pipe frames and are extremely sturdy. I remember we had a 2000 pound bull attempt to jump over a six foot tall corral one year. He couldn't get his fat butt over the pipe framework and ended up getting a leg caught up in the panel. We had to quickly grab the bolt cutters to set him free before he got hurt or broke his leg. The panel wires bent a little but didn't budge much. Scary!!!

Okay, the fence panels are made of galvanize steel...they won't fall apart or rust!!! I buy mine at McCoy's but figure if ya'll have a home improvement or ranch supply store they'd probably have them there too. They cost about $16 each and they are 52 inches wide by 16 feet long. I love using them!!!

I use bolt cutters to clip them into three long strips that are 16 feet long and about 18 inches wide to make simple arches. I clip the bottom rung from each end and push the 6 inch or so prongs that remain into the ground to stabilize the arch.

Other times I have my brother weld triangular obelisks of various heights for me. Again, I clip the bottom rung and push the remaining prongs into the ground to hold the obelisk in place.

You can use a dremmel tool with a cut-off wheel to cut the wire but it is 1/4" thick and it's a slow process. Bolt cutters are so much quicker.

I still have plans to make other shapes and designs but haven't gotten around to it. Would love to use panels with smaller blocks and cut out a heart or star design to hang from a tree. Of course, a box or platform to hold a potted plant would be welded onto it or sandwiched between two panels so I could have a vine growing all over it.

~ Cat

Am going to post a bunch of photos I have...and hope others that have used livestock fence panels will post their photos too.

Here's a photo of what the 16 foot long by 52 inch wide livestock fence panel looks like.

A simple arch...before...

and after...

The stairway trellis arch

stairway trellis with passiflora vine (there is a small triangular obelisk in the center of this photo holding up a rose bush).

A simple arch over my front walkway with passiflora growing on it too. There is also a straight panel along the length of my walkway that I put in place to divide the front flowerbed from the walkway. I recently put another passiflora there and will let it cover that panel.

another arch with a back support...before...

arch with back support...after...with dutchman's pipe (aristolochia elegans) growing on it.

another simple flat topped arch trellis with Mexican Flame Vine starting to cover it.

Wow, I like those. Good job. : )
~Lucy

...and lastly a view of my east wall with a variety of trellises and vines growing on them.

This message was edited Jan 14, 2007 7:52 PM

Very nice Cat, I really like what you have done with those arches.
Josephine.

Very creative too! You should send those pics in to the state ag website to show creative uses for extra supplies. =)

I love this stuff for arches/arbors, too. I got the idea several years ago from the Antique Rose Emporium (ARE) - I love stealing their ideas, lol (they are also who I got my short, purple fence idea from.)

Here is an arbor with bench seating, at the ARE:

The original arch that I fell in love with, and the adjoining purple fence I fell in love with. :-)

WOW Maggiemoo!!! I like that wood framed arch. Way cool with that bench :o) Gotta love that purple fence ey!!! I really like the way the wood frame defines the trellis. Hmmm....can ya'll hear my brain cells tinkering? :o)

~ Cat

Lol! For sure! When you're at the ARE, you can practically hear everyone else's, too!

Awesome idea for the livestock fence panels. Love what you have done, Cat! Thanks for sharing all the trellis and arches. I, too, am a vine lover! Now my mind is ticking away..... lol!

Maggie - Love that arch with the bench, too! What a neat idea! That purple fence is unexpectedly perfect for the gardens. Who'd have ever thought purple would be a good garden fence color????!!! lol

How clever is that ! Beautifully done, Cat.

I own a pair of bolt cutters, can you lend your brother, LOL.

Need to check out the local Tractor Supply for that. Thanks!

Too funny Mahnot!!!

Here's another photo from several years ago - it's part of a tall obelisk (well, you can't see it beneath the vines - but this one was 8 ft tall and I had a single Japanese Morning Glory - Henka Asagao Blue Blizzard - growing in the middle of it.

Thank you very much for sharing. As soon as the ice melts I will have DH going to Tractor Supply. It is wonderful what a creative mind can do.

Christi

They look great TPP, I really like the obelisk, how did you do that one?

Fly...

I used bolt cutters to cut a strip six squares wide (about 3 feet) and the length of the panel (16 feet). I then laid that on the ground and bent over the panel along the second square wire. Then I bent over the other side along the second square wire too...so it formed a loosely bent triangle. I then laid it on the ground with the 'open sides' up and held it in place as my brother tack welded the two open sides together. I then cut the 16 foot section in half - more or less to form two 8 foot obelisks. You could pretty much make an obelisk taller...but for stability you'd probably have to make each side wider and stake it into the ground with rebar.

If you don't have anyone who can tack weld the piece together to form a triangle I am sure sturdy sections of wire can be wrapped around the two pieces at various intervals to bind them together. Those plastic cuff-ties should work well too. Just use several along the length of the piece.

Here's a photo of a smaller obelisk - I use this type on my trailing rose bushes to keep the bottom half of the bush in check. The rose bush branches grow up and out from the top and I'm able to mow and do yard work without getting caught up in thorns.

You can also see where I clipped a rung and left prongs that I can push into the ground to stabilize the obelisk.
~ Cat

Here's a view from the top.

~ Cat

Thanks TPP, I may try that, I don't have anyone to tack weld it. Someday I would like to learn how to weld, but until then I could tie it together with wire. Great idea, and it seems like it would be very sturdy. Most obelisks that I've seen for sale are under 8' and I've never seen a vine that is less than that, most are much taller.

Well ya know...at $16 a panel they are very economical and you can make several from one panel. Just need to put in a little effort as far as using bolt cutters to clip the wire and then bending it into the triangle. Really can't go wrong for the price. Again, the panels are galvanized steel so they won't rust and fall apart. I love using them!!!

~ Cat

The fence panels are a great idea. I have lots of ugly fence and some walls that will look alot better this summer. Thanks for sharing.

I found this great idea in an old copy of Garden Ideas and Outdoor Living, 8/06. She takes a piece of fencing and makes a pot for the top of a big stump. Now, I wish I had a big stump, I know, what a crazy thing to wish for...people pay good money to get rid of them lol.

lemons... lemonade...

Ooooh, Ms Fly, I like that ! Hmmmm - there's a huge mulberry
tree that had better start behaving, LOL, or I will go out there
and show him this picture.

Wow Fly...good photo. I like that...but alas...no tree trunks here.

~ Cat

Nice job Cat!! My DS had a roll of something like that, but I had now way of carrying it home from Justin.. I would need a lot of help working with that fence material to fit it into my jigsaw puzzel garden. Would have to cut them first and then bring them home. I love the vines so much, always have. I will eventually need a way to grow some new ones I have this year...yes more!! Ya can't have too many of certain vines. These ideas will help me a lot!
The obelisk ya have there would be great in a square shape to stick inside the perimeter of a 1.5-2cf capacity square pot. It hardly pays to buy some fancy tutuer that will be totally covered up, LOL!

Haha I hear Anita making up reasons to chop those Mulberries,,,lol!!
Roxanne, great idea too! I was thinking on making a little well over one and planting some things in it.. Will have to wait for help on that one too. Thanks for steering me over here Becky:-)

I've attached a photo of a trellis I made out of plastic coated metal closet organizers. You can buy these at HDepot/Lowes/Wmart/etc. They come in 1.5ft X 12ft, 1.5ft X 8ft, 1ftX8ft.

I bought three 1.5ft X8 ft organizers, spray painted them black, and posted them in some quickrete (just like a fence post). I then anchored them to the wall with some masonary nails and black plastic ties. I used the same black plastic ties to support them together. I liked this method because it doesn't involve any welding. The organizers cost about $9 each.

-Richard

that is a great idea, richard and everyone!!!!

Will these not work????? I have the posts on two sides of a big barn? This is a new project for me....growing MGs that is....
do I have to have chicken wire or something wrapped around each one??

edited to say I think I can find those oblisqes (spelling????

This message was edited May 2, 2007 7:49 PM

Gail,

Are those gate I see in the background? If they aren't being used how about bracing them upright between the posts...or span chicken wire betwen the posts and plant morning glories along the length. You'd have a wall or vines that provides more shade and a tunnel of sorts :o)

If you get brave you can also lay chicken wire on top of the barn and get some morning glory vines to cover it. A farmer back at the ranch had those wooden lattice boards on top of a tool shed roof and the wood worked quite well as keeping his wisteria vine from getting scorched by the tin roof.

~ Cat

Oh,,, my, now I know what to do with a lot of pine stumps from tornado .. besides growing all kinds of vines on them..
thanks for the ideas,
Elaine

thanks so much, Cat!!! I haven't started mine, but this old barn has these things on both sides of it.....spanning chicken wire sounds great!!!
gail

It's gonna be gorgeous gail!! I love MGs!!

:-D

I am extremely nervous....I have seeds from Ron!!!!! Yikes!!!