DIY handmade garden archway/arbor

This afternoon, I scavaged through my wood pile for thick tree branches with curved edges and pieces to make this archway. In a matter of a few hours, I assembled this ever-so rustic structure leading to the garden. I hope to grow climbing flowers or bining veggies this year and the future.

Each branch is tied with metal, ivy, and string, including those twisty ties off of lettuce. 

Bird netting for blueberries & recycled arbor for Hardy Kiwi plants

I have been doing several different projects this week. First, I made a arbor out of an old swing set for the hardy kiwi plants to trellis. It took hardly any time to put it together by myself so I don't know why I had been putting it off for years. You can watch my mini video of them on my youtube channel.

Then I noticed birds eating at the blueberries so I covered the fruiting plants with netting. Six of the 10 blueberries are older and have a lot of fruit so I focused on covering them. I was annoyed because the netting ended up costing 52$ to only cover the six plants. 

But I digress...also this week I rolled down large rocks from the woods to use in the cob house. They were the size of boulders so I feel like my arms are dislocated or torn from my body. 

This week I also noticed my turtle buddy isn't leaving and it's completely planted itself in my watermelon patch. I remember a tarpin I took care of for months after it was stuck in our well; and the tarpins that come back to my garden, and I wonder if it's the same one...but who knows...

I've got a turtle buddy living full time in the garden

Made this arbor trellis for the hardy kiwis with an old swing set 

Put together bird netting for the blueberries 

11 Recycled & Natural materials for Free Trellis & Arbor ideas

The fun in gardening is to utilize what is around you, and how you can create beautiful works of art that are functional. This is especially worthwhile when you're choosing materials that can be recycled or "upcycled" when creating structure. Much of the recycled materials are metal or plastic that can be found around your yard, house, inside, flea markets, etc. Of course is better to use Natural materials such as wood fiber in making trellises and arbors, but this post is directed to those that want to recycle materials as well as use natural materials in the garden. Below is a list of those materials to use in creating fencing, trellises, and arbors that are functional in the garden, but also create a sense of artistry and decoration.

naturalfencing.com

1. Wattle fencing: Many gardeners trellis vining fruits with wire fencing, while others use wood framing. Of course natural materials is the best choice. I recommend the Wattle method in which wood has been woven into fencing. Wattle fencing can be used for a trellis, arbor, or raised bed.
According to Inspiration Green on wattle fencing, "The upright stakes are sometimes called sales and the saplings called 'weavers'. Hazel, willow, sweet chestnut, plum, forsythia or any supple, long, straight, slender saplings make good weavers. Newly cut, green wood is best and easiest. Willow is an exception as it can be soaked to become more supple. Use thin, long branches -or- larger saplings that are cut down the center (cleft) as 'weavers'...The saplings you choose should be long enough to weave around at least three stakes (preferably more) for stability. The weavers are woven around the 'sales' like basketry. The simplest weave would be to weave each row of saplings alternating around the stakes, the next row is woven on the opposite side of the stake from the sapling below it. Each sapling row should be firmly pressed down".

decorhacks.com

For a tutorial on making Wattle fencing, watch this video: here.

Besides wattle fencing, other natural materials or recycled materials to use for constructing trellises and arbors include:
2. Crutches. Actually there is a pair of crutches at my house, and I have always wondered what to do with them. And I have considered using them in the garden. In the picture here, I just so happened to come across a picture of a gardener's usage of crutches in the garden.

3. Bicycle wheels. I find it very easy to accumulate bicycles wheels when families buy several bicycles at one time for everyone to ride. With plenty of wheels, you can create a vertical structure in the garden. There are many examples of gardeners using bicycle wheels in the garden, and below is a picture of the best example I could find.

diyrecycled.com

 4. Recycled metal bars, poles, or gates like in the picture below. And, much fencing found around my neck of the woods, is a lot of old metal wire like bed springs. So this is another useful material for a trellis structure to grow vining crops.

recyclinggardenmom.blogspot.com

5. Screen door. Whether it's a screen door, or a bed spring, metal head board, or metal bed frame, these materials can be used in the garden for a vertical trellis. I have also used, as you can see in my garden posts from last season, that I used the wood framing of my old baby crib to grow peas, pumpkins, and other squash.

refurbished-ideas.com

hgdiy.com

pic2fly.com

dishfunctionaldesigns.blogspot.com

fleamarketgardening.org

6. Tobacco sticks & wood posts can be found in old barns, and sometimes you will come across a farmer friend that is willing to let you borrow or have their old tobacco sticks. For years I have used tobacco sticks or wood posts to create trellis structures. Below are pictures of the past ways I have used tobacco sticks and wood posts in my gardens.

7. Wooden ladders are perfect for creating a natural trellis and arbor. I recommend looking further into ladder trellis gardening, because there are some beautiful little creations out there. Oh lord, I'm starting to sound like Bob Ross (I watched a lot of Bob Ross this winter and created Bob Ross inspired paintings you can see here: Holiday gift paintings.)

pinterest.com

northwestgardener.net

8. Wood Pallets of course are very useful in the garden.

pinterest.com

9. Even a recycled water drum that has the metal cage on the outside will grow a vining plant. Two years ago, I grew Luffa gourds on a water drum which used the metal cage to vine. Look in your shed, look in the woods, look around your yard, house, or other scrap/junk yards for recycled materials that will allow you to assemble a trellis or arbor structure.



10. Bamboo is a durable material when dried. And usually bamboo is plentiful considering even in Kentucky where there is cold winters, we have bamboo growing invasive in places around creeks.
Bamboo is great for creating small trellis structures. I have used bamboo in the past as a natural material to trellis peas, but the bamboo was cut early and had not been given any time to dry out, so I recommend this step before using bamboo.

11. Golf clubs or any metal pole. 

pinterest.com

Of course, there are many more materials that work for creating a trellis or arbor in your garden. It's up to to explore your surroundings and to be unique.

Vining plants for arches, porch & balcony garden (privacy wall)

pinterest

Clematis armandii

Wisteria

Solanum crispum ('Glasnevin'glasnev

Vining flowers can turn an ugly porch or balcony into a magical hideaway. Vining plants along with a fence can create a beautiful privacy wall. A privacy wall can be achieved with many other tall growing plants which I have listed in this post: Hedges to block neighbors & privacy wall garden ideas.




Clematis

lomets.com

Bougainvillea

cuteegroup.blogspot.com

panoramio.com

 thunbergia laurifolia

quazoo.com

dutchman's pipe

cfabbridesigns.com

Wisteria

alamodeus.net

morning glory

mygardendiaries.com

passion flower

bettyhallphotography.com

boston ivy

pbase.com

golden hop

o.seattletimes.nwsource.com

Orange Trumpet Creeper

davesgarden.com

star jasmine

debsgarden.squarespace.com

 cup of gold

davesgarden.com

 chocolate vine

Bleeding Heart vine

gardeningknowhow.com

 
Other vining plants include: herald's trumpet, mile a minute plant, Sweet pea vine, American bittersweet vine, Moonflower vine, climbing Hydrangea vine,  honeysuckle, Silver Lace, Black-eyed Susan vine, “thunbergia alata”, and cup-and-saucer vine.

Black-eyed Susan vine

Morning Glory

Purple bell vine

Wisteria

Solanum crispum ('Glasnevin'

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus)

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus)

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus)

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus)

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus)

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus

Luffa & Birdhouse gourds growing on recycled trellis (video)

Dinosaur kale with cabbage, lettuce, onions, arugula

In yesterday's post "Harvesting lettuce...& more from the Garden", I showed you what I had been eating from the garden, and the varieties of greens we have been harvesting. 

Now that I am harvesting from my Spring garden, eventually these foods will be growing out of season as we enter into the hot summer months. The Spinach, cabbage, radicchio, and radishes are already going to seed. 

broccoli head

Towards late July and early August we will be replanting greens, broccoli, Brussels, cauliflower, and the many other cold tolerant vegetables. 

The Broccoli are finally come to a head which you can see in the photo to the right. 

The cauliflower are growing large which also should be coming to a head soon. 

spinach going to seed

Much of what I have been transplanting and planting now are herbs, squashes, corn, beans, tomatoes, gourds, and peppers. 

Several weeks ago I showed you the progress on the summer gardens at Beans, corn, & squash Summer gardens 2 + 3 & what I'm harvesting from Spring garden . I also showed you how I was growing birdhouse gourds and Luffas, but I wanted to give you a garden tour of the Luffas and Birdhouse gourds growing. In the video you can see the many varieties of plants we're growing on the Summer Hugelkultur mounds and raised beds. 

Growing Luffa, Birdhouse gourds & cucumbers / Trellis & arbor ideas in the garden

pinto beans growing up teepee

In yesterday's post, I said I planted crops to replace those that we lost from the bugs and drought. Dispersed among the remaining plants, I directly sowed lettuce, spinach, carrots, and swiss chard.

Yesterday, James spent most of the day cleaning out the rain drums of food dye. Then we took the drums to my grandparents' house to attach to the gutters on their roof. As James was working on that, I transplanted tomatoes in front of the beans. Behind the clusters of beans, I planted a long row of Marketmore Cucumbers today. It was another good day for planting vine crops, so I figured I would get out the cucumbers at least. James managed to assemble a quick lean to trellis structure for the cucumbers to crawl up.

 

Also, today, I planted a row of Okra in between a row of beans and squash.

 

Birdhouse gourds

 

Because it was a good day for planting vine crops, I wanted to plant Luffa and Birdhouse gourds.  So, when I got home from my grandparents' today, I made two trellis structures of different recycled materials. One was an arbor made with the wood from my 25 year old baby crib. With this, I planted Luffa underneath. The other trellis is the metal spring from the baby crib, which I am using to let Birdhouse gourds grow up. The left picture below shows you the structure for growing Luffa; and the picture to the right is a metal trellis for the Birdhouse gourds.

 

All trellis structures were made using free, recycled, and reused materials. The trellises I have made so far were small to my height, and the only other materials I used were wire cutters and some wire for tying corners and posts together, which I also used a hammer to beat the posts in the ground. These trellises are simple and require no power tools. Even a child could make these structures.