and what exactly is the method? 3 how long rebar, tied together at the top, buried how deep? Thanks, Sally

I use three 10 ft pieces of rebar I get at a local hardware store...I think it comes in 3/8" and 1/2" thick. I get the thicker of the two. I push the rebar into the ground about 18-24" at a slight angle (if possible). I then connect the three pieces at the top with one hose clamp (from the hardware store)....total time for installation is about 2 minutes.

I'm planning on setting up 3 rebar tripods this week! With roses/clematis being so addictive, one cannot have enough structures to grow these babies on. I really appreciate seeing photots of other roses and gardens. It is so helpful.
Molly

Are you happy with chevy chase----I've seen some nice pictures but never in person.

Is it fragrant?

I always check out your pictures----I love all your structures.

Florence

*EVEN I* could put up a tripod like you are describing, Robert. Cool, I will remember this.

Robert, Florence said "love all your structures". Do you have more somewhere on this site?

Have you tried this one? I saw it on HGTV some time ago, but was half asleep at the time. Two 8' or 9' sections of PVC pipe were hammered into the ground, about 4" apart. Then one long piece of rebar was bent into place into the top openings of the PVC on each side, creating an arch.

Just think of the plants that can be trained up these arches...maybe even a different one one each side, just rushing up to meet in the middle....Darlow's Enigma, Pink Mermaid, Seagull, Treasure Trove, Conrad Ferdinand Meyer...
I'm getting goose bumps.

Robert, your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to put down the Merlot and build one or two of these arches and get back to us with photos and full instructions.

And thanks!

Of course, I didn't mean the pipes are set four inches apart, I meant to type "four FEET apart". Maybe I'm the one who should swear off the Merlot.

That was an innovative and inexpensive solution to a thorny problem. Thanks for sharing what you did and the pics!

Hey, I can do that! I love rebar, and have accidentally planted another mozart which I thought was a La Marne (squirrels dump the tags on my rose propagation pots in winter, then I get all mixed up!!) I need something tall to put him on... this is a great idea.

GGG

I must have about 30-40 of the rebar teepees throughout my yard/gardens...and I have about 15 arches of rebar creating a tunnel, and the "Mottisfont Folly" and the pergola...can you tell I think the "sky is the limit?"

This weekend I'll make an effort to take a lot of photos...

I helped a friend put a cluster/group of three teepees in his yard...total installation time was about 10 minutes (not including planting time). He LOVES them already.

I am totally addicted to roses, clematis, and now the hybrid honeysuckles...I've got a couple of rebar teepees devoted only to honeysuckle...talk about stunning? I love them.

I also am finding that if you have enough vertical interests visitors' attention is directed upward and then they don't notice the weeds...and, with a glass of wine, it all seems the same anyhow!

Please come to my garden...I love taking the time to show it off. One day I hope to get it featured in Southern Living Magazine.

Robert

Hi Robert,
Love the ideas about rebar and can't wait to try it.
But when summer comes, will it be too hot for roses?
This is the first question that pop up in my head, because I live in Florida. Summer is hot and long and maybe very dry this year.
thanks,

trepadora

What a trick idea! I've got a Cramoisi Superieur, Cl. in my pot ghetto that I want to grow on a tall pillar, but couldn't figure out how to do it without a lot of time or expense. This idea takes neither - fast, cheap and practically invisible with the rose on it. I like it.

One question though: rebar rusts, so how long do these last before you need to replace them?

I love the idea of using rebar also, but am worried about the rose canes getting damaged from chafing on the roughness of the rebar in windy conditions. Any suggestions?

I was thinking of planting a noisette on a teepee - maybe Crepuscule would work? Should the bush be in front of the teepee or inside it? If inside it, can you still get in to do pruning?

I'm thinking that one could run the rebar through sections of old garden hose to prevent it from damaging the canes. Assuming it would fit in the hose, that is...

I'm still very much in the "experimenting" stage of rebar...so far I love it... I suppose the rebar should last about 100 years before it rusts into something that cannot support the rose. If I'm around then, I'll post an addendum to this thread. One could always paint the rebar with a rust stopping paint...I'm all for the rust. It adds charm...at least I've convinced myself of that.

I suppose the roses will rub against the rebar just as they would any structure. I do nothing to prevent it. If a can gets damaged, I'll eventually cut the cane off. I don't think the garden hose through rebar would look great, especially after the hose starts to get ratty from the weather.

I usually install my rebar after the rose has been planted. I added rebar, originally, to add some support for some David Austins that defied the descripton for mature growth. I'm learning more each day. I just push in the rebar so that the bars are about 2-3 ft apart from each other..I use only three bars...it seems enough.

I can't comment on Crepuscule because mine is supposed to be climbing a pergola...but the rose is still under 6" tall.

Hope this helps some.

Robert

Next time I go to visit my Mom in Williamsburg, I'm stopping!

OK Robert, it only took a few months but I've got them in. My hands are filthy! Looking forward to spectacular results. Has anyone had any success with homemade arbors?

We figured out the virtues of rebar independently of Robert, but either paid our local rebar factory (aren't we fortunate?) to bend and weld structures to our specifications, or tied together pieces with wire or string or tie material, none of the latter exactly elegant. Robert supplied the idea of clamps for modular structures of bent rebar. Our latest is a pentagonal arbor roofed with wood 2"x2"s, for Hybrid Musks. I haven't yet seen the finished project--it was mostly done when I left for the U.S.--but am looking forward to seeing it in August.

I think rebar is the best low-budget material for structures. We use the cages for clematis and for tomatoes: I've never seen an adequate tomate cage for sale, while ours are 5' tall and extremely sturdy.

Melissa

Robert the teepees look great and are inexpensive. I must warn you about tunnels though. I put gigantic roses on tunnels. The rebar is covered with field fencing. They've been up for years but now are bending so that we must bend down to walk through. The roses( Cecile Brunner and White banksia)must weigh hundreds of pounds. We're going to have to think of some clever way to support them.

Excuse me, but what is a hose clamp?

A metal strip with holes in it, bent in a circle with flanges joined by a pair of bolts to tighten. Ask at the hardware store.