Rose Arbor – Jacki Kellum Garden
20′ Long – 8′ Wide

“We Eat the Whole Buffalo”

Following is an old saying that is said to have evolved from the tradition of the Plains Native Americans:  “We Eat the Whole Buffalo.” The words allude to a resolve to use everything available when trying to make do. It is an extension of the attitude: “Waste Not – Want Not.”

Especially in my garden, I waste not, and that is evident in how I created my 20′ Rose Arbor, which is actually a compilation of several arbors and garden supports I have bought over the years. While the structure looks a bit crude now, roses will soon cover the surface, and everything will work harmoniously. Here Is another valuable old saying: “Don’t Let the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good.”

This short video reflects a bit of the experience of a cottage garden filled with birds, roses, etc. You hear Carolina Chickadees, Mockingbirds, Cardinals, Wrens, and other regulars to my bird feeders. Chickadees and Wrens have built homes in my birdhouses. The rose arbor is 20′ long and 8′ wide. I built it from scraps of other arbors and a few new pieces. I built this structure myself.  I am 74, and I do all my own work. I tote most of the dirt, I lay the bricks, and I assemble the raised beds. Essentially, I have no help in my garden.

On this arbor, I am growing Peggy Martin, Lady Banks, and Claire Austin Roses. I added the arbor and these roses this month. I have other arbors and other climbing roses.

On this structure, I have 4 birdhouses with Carolina Chickadees and a wren house with House Wrens. I also have a yard full of Mockingbirds, Cardinals, Jays, Mourning Doves, and other birds who fly in and out. My secret is live mealworms and Kaytee Nut and Fruit Seed. Suet in Winter, and Bird Baths for watering stations.

But now, allow me to tell you about this 20′ arbor montage. I began with the following arbor that I ordered from Amazon:

Perhaps because I have moved the above arbor several times, it is falling apart now. I continuously straighten it and prop it up. The side baskets have fallen off and currently, this structure is about 5′ wide and 7′ tall.

To create a sense of privacy from my neighbors, I attached the following twig fence from Wayfair:

Twig Fence
Image Credit: Wayfair
Dimensions: 78″ H x 156″ L
I bought two of these, but I needed to support them. That is one reason I continued to add more arbors along one side of the twigs.

Diagram of the 20′ foot arbor. the first section, where plants 1 and 2 are placed, is in addition to the 20′. That first section is where the arched trellis is placed. It is only about 18″ deep. The other parts of the arbor are about 8′ deep.

Pink Reliance Grapes
Image Credit: The Tree Center
Height: 8′ – 15′
Width: 20′

In my opinion, this is the sweetest grape to grow in home gardens.

Amethyst Falls Wysteria
Image Credit: Fast Growing Trees

North America’s Non-Invasive Wisteria

Why Amethyst Falls Wisteria Vines?

“A fast-growing vine that produces full purple flowers up to 12 inches long, the Amethyst Falls delivers a graceful show of shimmering beauty that is otherwise typically reserved for the sunny south. And since it’s a sterile plant, it won’t take over your yard like many other varieties of Wisteria.” Fast Growing Trees

I planted the Pink Reliance Grapevine and the Amethyst Falls Wisteria next to the trellis, but I added a sturdy rose and grape arbor to support them.

Image Credit: Urgowa
I am so very impressed with this arbor that I have bought another one to add to a different arbor area. It is tall and extremely sturdy. And I attach all my arbors to several places for additional support.

I expect the wysteria to crawl toward the back side of the arbor and toward the front. I have planted the roses along the front of the arbor to travel along the front and toward the back.

I planted a Claire Austin Rose in front of the grape/rose arbor.

Claire Austin – Climbing Rose
Image Credit: Heirloom Roses
Planted in My Garden April 2024
Fragrant
Disease Resistant
Height: 12′
Partial Shade

“Claire Austin is a beautiful, arching bush with gorgeous, very full, globular, cupped, 3.5”, gentle lemon to nearly white blooms with 41+ petals. She is a repeat bloomer with an intense, myrrh fragrance. Expect several flushes through the growing season of stunning blooms and intoxicating scent. Claire Austin loves to climb so give her a trellis, arch, wall, or obelisk and watch her grow up to 12 ft tall. She can handle partial shade, and we recommend her for zones 5-11.

To make the rose/grape arbor more sturdy,  I attached 3 free-standing trellises. behind the Claire Austin Rose and in front of the arbor:

Image Credit: Amazon
I have had these trellises for years. I continuously move them from one project to another.

Behind this trellis, I added another support that I planted into the ground:

Image Credit: Gardener’s Supply

The entire arbor is double-reinforced with the following 4′ Metal Garden Stakes that I drive at least a foot into the ground.

I use tons of florist wire to position everything and make it hold. The wind can easily rip away and send sailing anything with this type of flat wall. Do not neglect to use adequate tied-down support.

Image Credit: Paxcoo
I buy at least one set of 3 spools of wire every month.

Stage 2 Rose Arbor
Before I added the sturdy grape arbor, I added the metal hoop which had come with a greenhouse that I never used. Please allow me to backtrack a bit.

In front of that section of the arbor, I planted a Lady Banks Rose.

Lady Banks – Climbing Rose [Lady Banksia]
Image Credit: Heirloom Roses
Planted in My Garden April 2024
Moderately Fragrant
Disease Resistant
Height: 15′ -20′
1824

“Lady Banks is the grandest of all Climbing Roses with the potential to grow up to 20′ tall! She can be trained to climb just about anything and does so with a grand display of flowers if you give her good soil drainage and sturdy support. Lady Banks is a rambling and nearly thornless rose that produces hundreds of miniature, yellow blooms and is a recipient of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. Give her plenty of space and watch this drought-resistant Climber take off! Enjoy her all the way up to zone 9.” Heirloom Roses

The green hoop part of the arbor is very rough, but Lady Banks will cover this section rapidly. The hoop came from a greenhouse that I thought was too ugly to put in my yard. Visions of a White Victorian Greenhouse Dance in My Head. I relegated this outfit to the scrap heap. I use the cover to save plants during freezes, and the hoop has become part of my arbor:

“We Eat the Whole Buffalo.”

I painted the aluminum frame with dark green spray paint, but it was still ugly. To camouflage the green metal, I added tree limbs to the framework. It won’t take long for the roses to cover the frame, but I wanted to ease this part of the arbor into service.

Allow me to repeat: “Waste Not Want Not–I Use the Whole Buffalo.” This part of my arbor is almost a scrap.

Stage 3 Arbor – I added tree limbs to camouflage the green metal

I added the grape arbor mentioned above next, and finally, the area along the twig fence is stable. But I added another greenhouse scrap at the far end. I added that as a space for the Peggy Martin Rose to run.

Peggy Martin Rose
Image Credit: Southern Living

Peggy Martin is another massive rose–much like Lady Banks. I planted this rose at the end of the green metal hoop section, but it will run across the following segment, which is the metal part of another greenhouse I never used.

 

Arbor Stage 5:
Image Credit: PexFix
Dimensions: 6’x 5′

This structure is not as tall as the other black arbor, but it is fairly stable, and it will provide an additional length of support for Peggy Martin to spread her wings.