Making arbors from repurposed doors and more!

Garden arches are a classic addition to any garden and can divide a space, create an ‘entrance or gate’ or just be a focal point.  These gardeners have taken the typical garden arch a few steps further by using recycled or re-purposed materials. It’s true Flea Market Gardening style! Here are arbor projects from doors, twig, windows and wire.

Jean Sammons’ Door Arbor

Jeanne Sammons’ original door arbor started it all on Flea Market Gardening

Jean Sammons first made this arch from two old doors and some 2×6’s and posted it on our Facebook page. She planted pink roses and white cleome and hydrangea next to it and created a bit of ‘Jeanne-ius’ in her garden,…a real focal point!

“Here’s a view from backside…that’s a “Quick Fire Hydrangea” Jeanne planted in ’07 by her metal shed…it flowers white, then pink, then red…a great bush’

She got the idea, she said, ” from a Country Sampler (May 2006) article about a guy who built one for entrance to herb garden…we changed it a bit…he used 2×4’s for rafters…and different pane window openings.”

Door Arbor Mandevilla

“And here’s the beautiful Mandevilla bushy plant up close…I was in awe that it grew for me here in Iowa! I babied it and give it water every day, as I was told.”

Jeanne used exterior paint and there is no glass in the windows she said, “Yes, I was sure nature would take it’s toll eventually… I noticed that part of one door has started to come apart …so needed some TLC.”

 Cheryl York’s Arbor

Cheryl York’s door arbor

Cheryl York found several doors awhile ago and decided to begin her own door arbor project. She says, “I can’t wait to see them finished..here is a picture of them so far.”

More door arbors for the garden:

Brenda Krantz’s door arbor into a secret garden

Door arbor How To

Sue Gerdes also made a door arbor and shows the steps below.

Sue Gerdes’ door arch in process

I painted it yellow and white and then dry brushes some burnt umber color onto it.

Door arch set up in Sue’s daughter’s garden

It went to my daughter’s home…  This is the sign she put on her new arbor….

Gentle wording over arch

Deb Brazuk was inspired also and built her door arbor

Deb Brazuk says, “My neighbor was giving away 2 old doors. So with a little recycled lumber from my daughter’s deck, I have a new place to sit and enjoy my garden. I’ll have to do something to protect the wood but I haven’t decided what yet.”

How to make a Twig garden Arbor

Sue Gerdes also made a fabulous arbor from twigs and branches. She tells us, “We have tree shelter belts nearby so hubby chain sawed the branches the size I needed.

Sue’s twig archway,..this photo shows the construction

Sue Gerdes’ Morning glory twig arch

I made pilot holes with a drill bit so the wood wouldn’t crack, then inserted long screws, (hardest part is finding straight branches) and buried it into the ground about a foot…I replace this every 6 years or when it needs it. Never throw the old one away I put them in the back yard after cutting off the rotten wood that was in the ground. They make small arbors for my birdhouses. This is my “before” picture of the morning glories. They need to be cleaned up before the reseed themselves and before Fall/Winter.

 Jeanne’s Wire Arbor from wire fence

Jeanne Sammons made a simple and sturdy garden arbor from a humble hog panel.  Hog panels are 16 feet long by 34 inches high wire fence panels. They’re around $15-$25 each at farm suppl and hardware stores.
Jeanne says, “This is the ‘before’ picture of the ‘hog panel’ arbor shaped by my husband and me a year or so ago… One hog panel, 4 short steel fence posts and three bittersweet plants, male and female…it’s going strong now three years later”

Jeanne Sammons’ hog panel arch

“These old panels have been lying around for years now here…so my husband used some for my compost gate…and I saw this idea somewhere and we went with it…steel fence posts for grounding it. They hold in ‘hogs’ when pens are built, so they are really strong. This is only one hog panel, bent and anchored down with steel fence posts.  We had to do a lot of bending, shoving and I stood in the middle of it flat on the ground for a bit while he pushed and shoved!” Jeanne laughs.

Jeanne wire arbor, before and after

I planted it with bittersweet…so I call it my ‘Bittersweet Arbor’ now …the picture on the right was just taken in Nov. 2011. So if you need a sturdy arbor, watch for these at sales or even new ones dollar-wise are not real expensive!   I harvested my first bittersweet in November!   American bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, is planted for its clusters of colorful fruit in the fall.

Looking up at the bittersweet vines on the wire grid arch.

“For 2 yrs. it’s been overflowing the panel with foliage!  “Success!” Jeanne says, “the vine has finally taken off! I am so happy!  This picture shows the vines on it close-up.”

Tawra’s Garden Arbor from Windows

Tawra Kellam, her husband Mike and 4 children live in Colorado. She runs the website on frugal living tips, Living On A Dime® , with her friend, Jill. One category of topics is on gardening.

Tawra Kellam’s arbor from recycled windows

She says, “I have two things that I just love! Picket fences and old windows.  Ever since we were married almost 16 years ago, I have wanted a cute little house with a white picket fence. I know it sounds corny but gardening is my passion! I especially love cottage gardens so the fence was always a dream of mine.

Window arbor construction for Tawra’s archway

I also LOVE old windows. When my brother remodeled his house, I made sure hubby brought home all the leftover old windows from the 1920′s. He and my brother just shook their heads all the way back home! I’ve done several other things with my old windows.”

 Arbors are garden ‘bones’

Twig arch in Fall

Sue Gerdes says about her twig arch, “This is my “after” picture…after I trimmed back the morning glory…the arbor now is something I will get to see all winter and covered with snow. They say you need great bones (in your garden) to have a pretty yard in the winter…these little things around your yard are bones.

It is interesting to see how your yard changes from season to season. I think the change is beautiful and necessary. Time for seeds to be gathered and leaves to fall and everything is slowly go to sleep until it awakes in Spring.”