My arbor just went in - it's awaiting the gate and stain (that's my project for today.)

You want your arbor to be made of cedar. Mine is cedar with the lattice being made of mahogany. Both of these woods are the most durable for the outdoors - pressure treated wood won't last as long.

We ordered it from Trellis Structures - highly recommended by our landscaper, and I can say the quality is top notch. It is anchored to the ground in cement with metal poles - you don't want one where the wood is buried, as it will rot.

Ours has a moon gate as well - it's leaning against the house in this pic.

Here is a link that might be useful: Trellis Structures

oh, and I think choosing wood vs. metal depends on the house and the other elements in your garden. Metal (wrought iron or aluminum) would probably be less maintenance (I'm assuming) - they are 2 totally different looks.

This one we have was meant to keep deer from jumping thru it. We painted it with automotive paint about 15 years ago and haven't done anything to it since. The lawn sprinklers splash water on it every day....wood would not tolerate that. But.....I like the look of wood, if the circumstances were different. :0)
{{gwi:133140}}

I don't have a good picture, this is only showing the top - the picture was taken of the wisteria - the first year planted. Now it is a canopy over the arbor.

I'm not sure what type wood ours is but it's been there several years and no damage or rotting. My husband did it, not hard if you have the proper tools - I know he used a certain saw to cut out the top pieces (which are shaped). Our is set in concrete also. I also have baskets hung on each side (not seen in this pic) with flowers.

I can't see that metal would be easier upkeep than wood, because we have done nothing to ours. It's a wood that we let weather, not stained. After all we planned to have plants growing on it, so re-staining, etc. would not be possible.

If using metal, the automotive paint Nicole mentioned is a great idea - we did that to our vintage glider and chairs - holds up well.

tina

ps - obviously the date is wrong on the pic - wisteria does not bloom here in December! LOL

Here is a link that might be useful:

We redid my kitchen garden this year. Metal fence and arbor. I'm growing sweet autumn clematis on the arbor. Wanted something that would be evergreen.

Photo was taken a month ago...

I think part of it depends on what you want to grow on it if anything. Some people like the look of a substantial arbor as an architectural piece and don't want it covered. Roses will need to be integrated into an arbor with your help no matter whether it's wood or metal Clematis will twine better on its own with slimmer supports, and that usually means metal but it may still need some nudging - mine do. Do you have any plant ideas for your arbor?

My clematis haven't opened yet, in fact they haven't even reached the top of my arbor - we are very late for everything this year. This pic is a couple of years old. Please ignore my garden cart and garbage can in the background - some implement or another is generally in use somewhere! The view is from our side yard looking towards the front - the arbor acts as a transition from front to back, public to private.

{{!gwi}}

I love all of your arbors. I am getting it to try and grow clematis. I love clematis, have never tried to grow it. I just bought an obelisk and have put a small clematis on it.
Dlm and Nicole...your clematis are gorgeous. How long have they been in the gtround? Maybe the metal would be best for what I want to do with it. How much sun are your clematis getting?
Thanks,
Barb

Ann Arbor... isn't that in Michigan? ;o)

Pretty pictures!

Here is ours.
We could not find a pre made one that we liked so we made one.
We used a jig saw to do the decorative cuts.
The Lady Banks rose has covered up all the decorations at the top.
{{!gwi}}

Where do you live, what do you plan to grow on it, what does your house look like and what part of your garden do you plan to use it?

Hi Patricia,
I am in Ma. I want to grow clematis. I live in a ranch/cape. Yes that is what it was called when we bought it. I actually wanted to put the arbor out back where a path leads into the woods. I would be able to look at it from the porch and deck. My garden now is on the side of house and around the potting shed. Nothing out back. My worry is I get to much shade out there for clematis.
That is a beautiful arbor that you made yourself 1sst. Now can I tell you right off we could never do that!
I love all your pictures, thanks.

I think you can do fine with a bought-ready-made arbor from a good supplier. Don't shop Big Lots or anything like that. They will not hold up but a clematis is not a rambling rose or a wisteria, so find an arbor you love, make sure it is made well, whether of metal or wood (and I prefer cedar or cypress) to prevent disease and destruction. You should be fine with either.

livvyandbella, Here is link for clematis that would be better suited for shadier areas.

Here is a link that might be useful: clematis for shadier areas

thank you wigardenerwannabe for that link. I never realized their were so many different kinds...all lovely. It gives me a good understanding to what may go on my arbor. I hope to get my camera fixed so I may send pics.

Consider putting more than one kind on your arbor, too - ours will have 3 different types of clematis growing on it - each with different bloom times, so that we have color on the arbor spring thru fall. :-)

If you do opt to plant more than one variety of clematis make sure they're all within the same pruning group.

Gorgeous Arbors, Everyone!!!

We did the wood arbor, twice.
One was treated..... supposed to have some kind of treatment that would prevent rot due to our weather extremes.
The second arbor was redwood.

With both arbors we were out there every year tightening screws, adjusting, fixing broken trellis slats, etc.

Seven years ago we decided to go with Iron.
Looked and look and looked until I found one wide and deep enough. We also needed an arbor with a gate, to keep our nosy doggy from investigating the container plants down that walkway (If there is a slug in a container, she knows it, tips over container and roots around for the slug until she finds it).

Like the other poster said, don't buy it at Big Lots or similar store.
The metal will be very thin, almost flimsy, and it won't hold up but maybe a couple years, if that.

The one we purchased is HEAVY, thick metal, really good welds at the joints.
No maintenance at all over these past years to this arbor. All I do is keep my Iceberg rose vine trimmed.

Bought the arbor at Plow & Hearth during one of their end of season sales and got free shipping.
I was more than pleasantly surprised at the thickness of the metal and how well constructed it was.

So far, years later and we've not had to go out once a year and do any tweaking or repairs to the metal arbor.

Oh, and make sure the arbor you purchase is deep enough!
Tall is a gimmie. Space between the two sides is a consideration too. But the actual depth of the sides, make sure it's wide enough.
You'd be surprised....when a plant gets going on that arbor how quickly it will cover and if the arbor isn't big enough for the plant, you'll be cutting, trimming and pruning every couple months.
I speak from experience. *smile*

OH, another thing...... I used little soft-coated plant ties to secure the new vines to the arbor. It was a really easy way to train the vines to go the direction I wanted them to go.

Please excuse the old light, bench and mess....I'm working on a project in that area. Gate to arbor is open in this picture.

amity that is GORGEOUS! If my Iceberg got 1/10th that size I'd be thrilled - what zone are you and what do you feed it?

Beautiful arbors everyone.

kpaquette - I love your home. Would like to see more of it! :)

Amity...that is just beautiful! I will watch Plow and Hearth Sales.
I like the idea of putting two clematis on their.

I second the idea of multiple plantings on an arbor. Along with the wisteria, I have a white clematis which is growing more to the front side of the arbor. I also have two *vine poles* as I call them. One has a sweet autumn clematis - which is (in my experience) a much bushier, fuller type clematis, blooming late summer into the fall. I have morning glories also growing on that pole. There is a time when both are blooming. Another pole in the back has a purple clematis growing up it and the moonflowers - white, these open at dusk. There's also a hook on that pole with a hanging basket.

Vertical growers are among my favorites in a garden.

tina

Aw thanks, newhomebuilder! We're still moving in and don't have many rooms totally furnished yet - and it's still under construction in areas (so frustrating) but I'll post when I have some rooms presentable - but here is the "before" and during pics I have (I REALLY need to update my website - I know...)

Here is a link that might be useful: my outdated site

Tina,
Wisteria with clematis. That is a great idea. Love wisteria. What is a moonflower? Don't think I have seen that.
Barb

Looks like a work in progress. I had no idea that you were taking out most of the interior! What a job, but I sure hate to see some of the "old" go...like the stairs Must have been a lot of damage. Did you keep the Butlers Pantry?

Hi Barb -

Moonflower looks alot like a white morning glory. But where a morning glory opens up early in the day as closes late in the day, a moonflower doesn't open up till dusk and is closed by morning.

tina

Sorry to hijack. Livvyandbella!

The stairs were TREACHEROUS. Like, lean forward and climb up like a ladder LOL. And rickety. When GC took them apart he couldn't believe they hadn't collapsed yet. The new ones are code and quite the carpentry masterpiece. :-) (still awaiting handrail stain and finial - GC made the stair treads to match the quartersawn oak floor, they're purdy. Unforts we couldn't rectify the door swing, but we're thrilled to have a 1/2 bath downstairs.)

We stressed majorly over gutting it. But it was in such disrepair (had been a rental for 15 years) that there wasn't much to save. Plus all systems needed replacing, we added AC...sort of got caught up in the snowball effect LOL. We did replicate the moldings that were in the living room and carried them thru the downstairs. They were really the only thing that was worth saving, and we tried, but several split when we tried removing them. (still no art or decoration...)

And added wainscoting in the DR to give a period feel

Didn't save the butler's pantry, it wasn't original and looked better in pics than IRL. ;-) We did sell it to a salvage company, though.

Did the floors in quartersawn oak, with a walnut border

And redid the original tub and did a period bathroom

Only have 1 br pic, the other is a disaster zone - but you can kinda see the moldings.

People who come in can't believe everything in the house is new (except the window sashes, awaiting restoration.) In our opinion, the house actually has more character now b/c of the addition of things that were lacking before - like the wainscoting, the bathroom elements, or moldings upstairs. (before was just flat board.) Anyway...it's been quite a "job" for the past 8 months - and it's almost over!! (well, the contractor is almost out. I'll be painting for the rest of my life.)

I like what you have done...you're forgiven. ;)