Building A Rose Arch – instructions, materials and plants


Building A Rose Arch – instructions, materials and plants

With a rose arch you can visually enhance your garden. We will show you how you can build your own rose arch from various materials.

Building rose arches - instructions, materials and plants
© fineart-collection – Fotolia.com

Roses are a must in the ornamental garden. They delight us with their bloom all summer long and not only make the hearts of romantics beat faster. The queen of flowers is available in many different colours and varieties as well as in different growth forms. Higher-growing varieties are particularly expressive on a rose arch. Rose arches made of wood or metal are available in numerous designs in garden markets. You will have much more pleasure with a rose arch you have built yourself. Now we will tell you how to build a rose bow yourself and which variations are possible.

What to do with the rose arch?

Do you love roses, are romantic and have your own garden? Then you can easily fulfil your wish for a rose bow. Before you begin with the actual construction, you should clarify the location question.

Your garden is already laid out and planted? Then there is surely also a declared favourite place where you like to stay and perhaps have set up a seating group. Also under trees or near the garden pond is an ideal place for your new rose arch. You can also span a garden path with one or more rose arches to create a romantic pergola.

If the garden is to be laid out first, there is a lot of work ahead of you. It will take some time until it will be lushly green and blooming there. By setting up rose arches you can quickly create eye-catchers and distract from the perhaps still somewhat poor beds. Rose arches can give structure to the garden and help to facilitate the later division.

“Tip: If you plant rose arches with ivy and other fast-growing climbing plants, unfinished gardens will look well structured and less dreary.

Wooden rose arches

Wooden rose arches are the classics par excellence. Wood is easy to work with and by choosing different woods you can create a varied picture with several rose arches. From romantic and playful to straightforward and functional, everything is possible.

Even rather inexperienced craftsmen can dare to build a rose arch. You create a simple frame construction which is bolted and fitted with metal brackets. If you build two frames and connect them together, your new rose arch can even stand independently and thus be used flexibly in the garden.

Building rose arches from wood – step by step

You need:

  • four posts
  • two crossbars
  • five bolts
  • four supports
posts
© tinadefortunata – Fotolia.com

Work steps for the basic framework

❶ Concreting beam shoes
❷ Slot milling in side panels
❸ Milling groove in crossbars
❹ Cutting the bolt to size
❺ Bolt provided with groove
❻ Set posts in beam shoes
❼ Apply the latch to the crossbars
❽ Attach support for the crossbars

First select the location for the rose arch. At the beginning, the beam shoes are concreted into the Soil. Measure the distances carefully so that the posts fit exactly afterwards. The concrete must dry for some time. Meanwhile, you can deal with the construction of the basic framework.

The four posts, which are later recessed into the Soil, first receive a groove so that the crossbars can be attached later. The groove must be milled to the width of the crossbars. The crossbars also have a corresponding groove. Be sure to make an angle of 45 degrees at the end of the strips. The same bevel is also applied to the ledgers, which are now cut to size and provided with a groove.

Now it is helpful to get a second person to help you. A crossbar is screwed into each of the two posts. The posts are then placed in the beam shoes. Ask your helper to keep the posts straight while you fasten the posts to the beam shoes using screws.

“Tip: Use rustproof wood screws.

Now the side panels should have a secure footing. You can then place the ledgers on the crossbars. Now is the last chance to align the construction and carry out any reworking. Finally, the bolts are screwed to the crossbars. To increase the stability of the rose arch, add a support for the crossbars. The support should have a length of about 30 centimeters and is sawn off at an angle of 45 degrees. You attach the support to the posts and crossbars using screws.

“Tip: If you have not used stable and weather-resistant wood, it is important to treat the individual parts with an appropriate wood preservative before assembly.

Material for the trellis

  • eight strips about 160 centimeters
  • twelve strips 50 centimeters
  • twelve strips 40 centimeters

Build a trellis

At first, the strips are brought to the dimensions mentioned. Also here the wood should be provided with wood protection in advance, as long as it is not a special, robust hardwood, which is, however, more difficult to process. Then screw the individual slats together and flip them over in order to achieve more stability.

Now the strips are laid flat on the floor. Make sure that the long sides are facing downwards and the leaves are on top. The crossbars are now connected to the longitudinal bars. Use rustproof wood screws and a weatherproof wood glue.

Once you have mounted the trellises, allow some time for the wood glue to dry well. Finally, the trellises are inserted into the side parts of the rose arch.

“Tip: Mount the trellis a little higher. Near the Soil, the wood is exposed to wear and tear and the plants do not get enough air.

The trellises are attached to the side parts, at the top and bottom ends and in the middle, using metal brackets and stainless wood screws. Now your rose arch is assembled and can be planted.

Metal rose arch

In addition to the classic wooden bow, rose bows made of metal are also an option. These are more durable than the wooden bow and also here the variety of models and possibilities is large.

You can fall back on inexpensive and simple possibilities and bend the irons yourself or have them shaped by a specialist. The metal rods are anchored in the Soil. As already described, you can create a climbing aid with a wire mesh or you can tension individual wires at even distances along the side parts. Steel tube profiles create a stable connection between the side parts.

Simple metal columns cost only a few dollars. If you create a connection between two irons, a simple rose arch has already been created. Romantic hearts will beat faster when looking at elaborately crafted and stable rose arches with elaborate decorations. These can be purchased as finished kits and you only have to do the final assembly.

If you want to dare to build a metal rose arch, you can watch the following video to see how this project can be realized.

Rose arch made of bamboo sticks and round woods

Of course, there is now a whole range of variation possibilities. You can also get a rather simple version of a rose bow by using round woods, bamboo sticks or stable and straight branches. You also need four posts, which are connected with shorter woods or branches. Use either wood screws or metal brackets for the fastening. With cross struts you create stability. The trellis is made from thinner bamboo sticks and attached to the side parts.

“Tip: This variant is very good near a pond where bamboo may already be growing.

Rose arch: Wood and wire meet

You are not a skilled craftsman and the rose bow should perhaps represent your first own construction? Then this simple variant will surely appeal to you. First of all four stable posts are needed. Cut them to the desired length and impregnate them, unless they are weather-resistant wood. Anchor the posts securely in the Soil using concrete anchors and attach a crossbar to each of the two posts on the long sides for additional stabilisation.

A connection between the two side parts is not created by a wooden trellis, but by a wire mesh. Cut the wire mesh to size and attach it to the side panels. This creates a climbing aid for the roses and at the same time gives the rose arch stability.

Stability is important

No matter which rose arch appeals to you the most, it is important to anchor the construction in the Soil, because after all, the good piece should not literally fly around your ears during the next storm.

The simplest and most stable option is to install the beam shoes in the floor as described above. The rose bow is screwed to it and gets stable and safe hold.

More decorative ideas for fastening

Plant boxes as a border of the rose arch. The posts are attached to the plant boxes. The plant boxes provide for a nice underplanting of the climbing roses at the trellis.

One mobile possibility is to concrete the piles into concrete planters. If you mobilize some helpers, the rose arch can then also be moved in the garden. If you pay attention to an adequate height, the bucket can be planted additionally and it is also here provided for an attractive eye-catcher.

You can save on concreting by placing gabions around the rose arch, anchoring the posts in it and filling the gabions with stones. The result is a decorative finish and at the same time a kind of wall, which is particularly attractive if you want to use the rose arch to create a separation from the seating area.

Rose bows for professionals

Classic rose arches seem too simple to you? Then you are welcome to let off steam creatively. This does not only apply to the rose arch made of wood. If you have the tools you need to work iron and have the confidence to forge, there is nothing to stop you from constructing romantic and playful metal rose bows.

It doesn’t have to stay with the simple rose arch. Wooden rose arches can be widened with a little skill to a kind of pergola. This creates comfortable seating and you will be able to enjoy the summer under a sea of blooming roses.

Rose arch: In Which Material? Wood, metal, plastic or bamboo?

Rose arch structures are available in various designs and materials. We have summarized the advantages of the different materials for you.

rose arch
© alisseja – Fotolia.com

An ornamental garden without roses? I can’t imagine! We can enjoy their flowers all summer long. Here we have the choice between numerous varieties in different colours and growth forms. Particularly impressive are climbing roses that rise up from an arch of roses.

Rose bows can be made of different materials. Which bow you ultimately choose depends not least on certain preferences for the material in question. Practical features certainly also play a role, after all it is supposed to be a stable and long-lasting rose arch, which is also visually convincing and harmoniously integrated into the outdoor area.

Various materials For A Rose Arch

Archways can be made of the following materials:

  • wood
  • Metal
  • plastic
  • bamboo

Wooden rose arches

As a natural material, wood naturally blends perfectly into your garden. A natural ambience is underlined. This is why a rose arch made of wood is particularly suitable, for example, if you want to use it as a border to the sitting area or terrace, which are already equipped with wooden furniture.

Wood has one disadvantage: It doesn’t last forever. If an archway made of wood is to remain affordable, it is usually made of spruce or pine wood. The outdoor durability is about five years. The wood should not be used untreated. Then heat, humidity and frost add to the rose bow and you can already dismantle and renew the bow after half the time.

Metal rose arches

If your rose bow is to endure a lot and give you many years of pleasure, metal archways are the best choice. The robust frames are available in numerous different versions. The palette ranges from simple and straightforward construction to playful ornaments. The solid metal archways are considered classic rose arches and are particularly versatile. In addition, you can purchase these rose bows quite inexpensively.

Plastic rose arches

There is hardly a material that proves to be more robust and durable. Plastic does not rot, it cannot rust, it does not become porous and does not mold. On the other hand, there is the fact that a plastic rose bow looks less natural. But this circumstance is concealed by lavishly growing climbing roses.

Rose bows made of bamboo

Bamboo is also a sheer indestructible material and also quite natural and appealing in appearance. Especially gardens with a Far Eastern touch benefit from a rose arch made of bamboo. The bamboo sticks are easy to assemble and in combination with other bamboo elements a harmonious and harmonious picture is created.

Planting rose arches

Finally the time has come, the rose arch is finished. Now, of course, you can be proud of your work. But only with the right planting is the rose arch perfect and a real ornament for your garden.

Climbing roses are of course the first choice for the self-built rose arch. You can choose from a variety of colours and varieties. But a whole range of other plants is also suitable for beautifully designed rose arches. Try the following variations:

plant particular feature
passion flower

passion flower
© nurjan100 – Fotolia.com
  • grows fast
  • can hibernate in mild regions
sweet pea

sweet pea
© Hanstography – Fotolia.com
  • grows fast
  • long flowering period
  • large color variety
tendril

tendril
© PIXATERRA – Fotolia.com
  • long flowering period
  • can hibernate in mild regions
runner bean

runner bean
© Kulbabka – Fotolia.com
  • grows up to four meters high
  • Beans are cooked and edible

Don Burke

I am Don Burke, one of the authors at My Garden Guide.  I am a horticulturist that cultivates, grows, and cares for plants, ranging from shrubs and fruits to flowers. I do it in my own garden and in my nursery. I show you how to take care of your garden and how to perform garden landscaping in an easy way, step by step.I am originally from Sydney and I wrote in local magazines. Later on, I have decided, more than two decades ago, to create my own blog. My area of specialization is related to orchid care, succulent care, and the study of the substrate and the soil. Therefore, you will see many articles dedicated to these disciplines. I also provide advice about how to improve the landscape design of your garden.

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