Building a Rustic Arbor
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| With some basic carpentry skills, you can build a rustic arbor to decorate your garden. |
One of the most popular home building and landscaping projects is constructing a rustic arbor. If you have some sapling trees on your property and basic carpentry skills, it's not so hard to build an arbor. A rustic arbor makes a welcoming gateway to a perennial flower or vegetable garden. If you use rot-resistant wood, it can last for years and you can grow climbers, such as morning glories, clematis, and grapes up the arbor. Here are some tips on building your arbor:
Select the right trees.
Start with selecting saplings from rot-resistant woods. Eastern red cedar, black locust, hemlock, and redwood are examples of woods that will last for years in the ground. You can also treat wood with a preservative to slow the inevitable rotting that will occur. Each sapling should be 4 to 8 inches is diameter and 1 foot taller than the height of the arbor.
Dig the holes.
Dig four holes 12 inches in diameter and a little wider than the saplings. Set the saplings in the holes and fill the base with concrete. Let dry before backfilling with soil.
Add the cross branches.
Select thinner-diameter cross branches that will be attached to the main posts to anchor the sides. You can get creative by choosing cross branches with a natural curved shape. These will look attractive between the posts.
Fasten the branches.
Either drill holes and screw the side branches and top to the main posts or use twine to fasten them together. If you plan on growing heavy vines such as grapes, be sure the branches are securely fastened to support the weight.
Add the top branches.
Use saplings that are the same diameter as the posts to create crossbeams connecting the sides across the top. Fasten these securely to hold the whole structure strongly together.
Decorate.
Use smaller twigs and branches to decorate the arbor as you like. The beauty of rustic arbors is their homemade, personal quality.
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