DIY Shade Arbor

Arbors create shaded spaces in landscapes.

Shade arbors are landscape and garden structures that provide support for climbing and vining plants, creating shaded areas. Arbor designs range from rustic to casual to formal, and materials for arbors include metal, wood, sapling trees and tree branches, wood and canvas and plastic pipe. Traditional arbors consist of heavy posts topped with an open lattice-work of thin planks, spaced either closely or widely apart. Assemble your shade structure from natural materials to create an attractive, rustic arbor.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• 2 thin 7- or 8-foot sapling trees to cut into smaller sections
• Handsaw
• 6 thin sapling trees cut to 6 feet long
• Power drill
• Galvanized screws
• 7 large branch sections stripped of leaves
• Posthole digger or sharp spade
• Gravel
• Wet cement

Instructions

1. Cut two 3-foot sections and 2 3 1/2-foot sections from the two 7- or 8-foot sapling trees.

2. Begin to build two outside frame pieces for the arbor with the sapling trees. Lay 2 6-foot sapling trees on the ground, parallel to each other, 3 feet apart. Place a 3-foot section across the 2 trees, 2 1/2 feet from the bottom, and screw it into the sapling trees, using the drill and galvanized screws. Do the same with 2 more 6-foot saplings.

3. Place a 3 1/2-foot section across the top of one of the incomplete frame pieces and screw it to the sapling frame. Do the same with the other frame.

4. Place 2 branch sections in each frame section just assembled, and screw them to the horizontal connecting pieces at the top and bottom for an open, filigree effect.

5. Measure and mark 2 spots on the ground in the location where you'll install the arbor, 6 feet apart. With the posthole digger, dig a hole 2 feet deep at each mark. Measure and mark two spots on the ground 3 feet from each hole, remaining 6-feet parallel to the other side of the arbor. Dig 2-foot-deep holes at each spot.

6. Put half an inch of gravel in each posthole. Place the bottom feet of the arbor frames in the holes, and fill in the holes around the arbor feet with wet cement. Let the cement dry for at least one full day, more if necessary. If the arbor frames don't stand straight in the wet cement, brace them until the cement dries.

7. Screw a 6-foot sapling across the front and back top of the outside frame pieces when they are firmly set in hard cement.

8. Add additional branches to the top of the arbor, screwing them into the side frames and sapling tree cross pieces.

References

• "Black & Decker The Complete Outdoor Builder: From Arbors to Walkways: 150 DIY Projects"; Editors of CPi; 2009
• "Rustic Garden Projects: 28 Decorative Accents You Can Build"; Dawn King; 2006
• "Ultimate Guide to Fences, Arbors & Trellises: Plan, Design, Build"; Editors of Creative Homeowners; 2008