Madame Anisette's emergency structure. Why oh why do they sell her as anything but a climber?

I'm glad you shared this classic picture, Ben. So many of us are tricked into buying her thinking she's a shrub! I'm glad I was able to figure out a way to make her work in her front of the border, along the path spot. At least now the arch will allow us to have a path. MA is not a front of the border plant, except maybe, in zone 3 ... ???

In my early days, before I knew about HMF, I bought Teasing Georgia believing the DA label that said she'd be a shrub.

One year later I made her this trellis, using bamboo sticks tied together with garden twine and sealed with epoxy glue.

Thank you for the heads up about MA!

Librarian I love that emergency arch. I have several of those panels and can’t wait to try making one of those.

Ben that’s definitely a true emergency with the Madame being so close to the little pathway. I don’t ever complaint about thorns because I mean they are roses but wow Madame can really draw some blood no matter how hard you try to stay away.

Seaside I love your teasing Georgia. I have an obsession with this rose. I think your bamboo trellis looks fantastic, how many years did it last?

This is one of cow pannels today. working on Peggy because the wind Ripped her off the top of the shed.

I am hopping to secure her better this time, but having trouble reaching over (being 5’3 isnt very helpful ) and the shed is old so not feeling confident walking much over it. I placed wire from the Trellis over to the other side along the ridges of the sheds roof.

Dianela that is gonna look so good!!!

Dianela,

Thank you , I love TG too! My DIY trellis is still good over two years later, in spite of all the wind and humidity, the epoxy really seems to have locked everything together quite well.

Your trellis for Peggy should be pretty solid with the wiring over the roof! I'm sure it's going to look amazing.

@seasiderooftop what kind of epoxy did you use? Did you pour it in a bucket and brush it onto the entire bamboo structure? Thank you so much! I love you design and think it would be a great model to try and replicate.

Hi Sunny,

I can't @ you but I hope you'll see this anyway. I'm glad you like the DIY trellis, thanks!

I used a two-part epoxy (they are stronger than the one-part ones). I believe it was the one pictured below but any brand should do. Two syringes was enough to complete the job.

I originally laid the planned trellis out flat on the floor, then placed a dot of epoxy where the bamboo canes crossed. Let that dry for about 10 mn. Then I went in with the garden twine and tied it around each cross several times. Then I slathered epoxy liberally over each knotted cross.I let it all dry overnight to be sure it was fully cured.

Before planting, I also drilled holes into the pot on the side where I was going to place the trellis. Two small holes on either side of where each of the three central vertical poles would go. When I installed the trellis in the pot, this allowed me to pass twine through the holes to tie the bamboo to the pot and really anchor the trellis to the pot. That knot was then also secured with the two part epoxy. Then add soil and rose to the pot. This step really helps with wind-rock of the trellis.

The furthest out vertical poles are outside of the pot. I epoxied the bottom of them to little rubber feet, the round kind you use under pots (small ones in the pic below), so they wouldn't scrape against the rooftop surface, but that's optional.

I highly recommend making the trellis bigger, and especially wider, than what you think you'll need.

Oh I forgot to mention, to get really good secure knots with the twine I followed this excellent technique.

It really does make a difference, these knots are really good.

https://youtu.be/_-2i_dFHv5g?si=xEeYE0cFhZGxUcXn

Here is another rebar structure I’m currently building. Sorry for the photos; they were quick snapshots in the bright sunshine, so not very good ones. I dug holes with an auger on a drill, set in eight 1/2” pipes that were 30” long, about 15” below ground and the rest above. I poured concrete in the holes around them and leveled them. While they were setting, I made a “jig” to bend my rebar by pounding stakes in the ground at the right distances to give me a six foot wide arbor. I bent six 20’ rebar (1/2”) and inserted them into the pipes. Then I cut cross-pieces out of 3/8” rebar and am currently working at wiring them at one foot intervals, approximately. I ran out of copper wire, so it’s at a standstill till I get more. Someday when I finally learn to weld and buy a welder, I hope to weld it, but the wire has worked well on my other re-bar arbor, so that’s what I’m doing for now. It’s definitely DIY, but hopefully sturdy enough to last a long time.

I’m sorry, I didn’t bend six upright parts, only four. That’s quit obvious from the photo, but I wanted to correct it so I don’t confuse anyone.

I have a couple of tall obelisks my nearby rose friend , Dickie, made for me:

Crepuscule and Pat Austin

Buff Beauty ..this plant declined and died in too much shade

Arbor my husband made...it's kind of big and boxy..is holding up well with good outdoor paint.

Alchymist

Storebought metal arch that eventually rusted out

I like stick arbors made from small tree trunks and maybe some grapevine.

Judi, your arbour looks great! Could you by any chance post a photo of your re-bar bending technique-i.e., what does that "jig" look like I would love to be able to bend rebar!!! BTW, also would love to learn welding but that seems unlikely to happen. How about slatering your wire joints with metal epoxy? I've used this in the past and it works pretty well.

Erasmus,in theory I "don't like orange", but seeing your combo of Crepuscule and P. Austin with that lavender-blue iris forces me to eat my words, lol...that is stupendous!

Judi your new structure looks amazing, I can’t get over how creative you and your husband are. Please share if you how you are able to bed the rebar I am also interested in trying it. My husband can weld some and he made me an arbor before but I would love to be able to do some of my own structures.

Erasmus I love all your structures and your garden in general is magnificent and inspirational. Your roses just look happy and appear to be growing to their full potential.

Thanks, Bart and Diane. I usually think of Crepuscule as a fairly soft color, kind of cantaloupe. Pat Austin is a bit stronger orange.

I think this softer color is more often what it is...Crepuscule in a pot:

My original Crepuscule on the wood obelisk has declined a lot due to root competition from a river birch tree and the hot, dry spot it's in. The one in the pot is gone. Have a new one planted but think I'll have to move it. A garden seems like nothing if not change.

Just want to mention affordable and safe place to buy inexpensive roses support :

https://www.temu.com/

Ok, so my “ jig” is laughably simple. I can’t go and photograph it now because I already pulled the stakes out of the ground, but here’s a quick drawing: the red dots are the three main stakes I drove into the ground. Since my arbor was to be six feet wide and one most allow for some rebound after bending rebar, I placed the outer stakes at 5 ft. On these two outer red dots are larger circles around them: those are short sections of 8” pvc pipe I placed on my stakes to soften the corners as I didn’t want a sharp bend. The center red dot served as my reference point. I marked the center of my 20’ rebar and laid it across the top of my stakes with the center lined up with the middle stake. Then I drove three more stakes so that the rebar lay between the stakes and would not arch when I applied pressure. Next I measured the exact center point where the ends would meet when I bent them down and drove a stake there so I wouldn’t over-bend either side. Then I just took each end, one at a time and slowly, firmly bent them around my jig with my gloved hands. It’s really not hard. When my husband came came home and saw I had them already bent and in place his eyes went wide and he asked how I did it. I just flexed my biceps at him and we laughed!

Metal epoxy, Bart? Never heard of it. Sounds like I need to check it out!

I have a big rebar project coming up that’s churning around in my mind and way bigger and more complicated than I’ve ever done before and I really must learn to weld before I do that one… so I should just get busy.

Another view of the big boxy arbor with Alchymist. The cheap metal arbor in the distance is still good though I have to admit right now it's badly tilted. I need help getting it straightened out. Cost $15 at Big Lots ( a long time ago).

Too bad I don't know how to prune

Here's a vinyl arbor...I like the shape but the vinyl just hasn't grown on me. Mold or algae grows on it as well.

I bought a really cheap tubular black metal arbor at Wayfair this spring for clematis. It was about $20 and I really like the shape. It seems strong enough so far. Roses are going over on it too. They must have seen it.

Of course fences are a great rose support. I have a low picket fence. I have repainted it once with Valspar Duramax which seems to protect it well.

My rose friend, Dickie, is making obelisks out of welded metal now. I wish he'd post something about those and how he does it.

Here's an old picture of a wooden arbor he made in his old garden:

He made the neat obelisk on the far right and probably made the bird house.

Erasmus, your garden is so beautiful!

Unbelievable ! Gorgeous and elegant so inviting in charming as well.

erasmus, the more I see of your garden, the more I want to see. It's soooooo lovely. Your friend's old garden looks pretty too.

elena, thanks for posting that link. I'd never thought of looking there for garden supports.

Thank you! Sometimes it pleases me and sometimes it is just a jungley mess! Could really use some rain right now.

Thank you, judi! I must try this technique some time.

Erasmus,your garden is stupendous.

Thanks, Bart. I'd love to see some pics of your garden/s what with your artistic eye. My impression is that you have two...one at your house and one at a remote place.

No, just one real garden,about a 20-minute drive from home. At the house, all we have is a large terrace with my pot ghetto.

If and when our finances improve, I'd like to get a camera...