Step One: Setting the Posts Gardener Amy Skyrus, a Northern California resident with thriving raised vegetable beds in her backyard, wants to enclose the beds to create definition and at the same time integrate the area with the rest of the yard. She also wants to add a gourd arbor that will create an attractive entryway into the area.
To implement the project, Skyrus has enlisted the help of landscape designer Michelle Chambliss-Mazzera. The designer explains that the arbor entry will be built to suit the size and style of the yard and that recycled materials will be used to enhance the rustic look of the property.
Along the sides of the arbor--which will eventually be covered by gourd vines--the crew will add a wrought-iron fence to further define the area without blocking the view of the vegetable beds. Around the fence Chambliss-Mazzera will fill in the landscape with showy, colorful plants.
She estimates that a professional installation of this project would cost around $1,200, whereas the average do-it-yourselfer can expect to spend about $400 on materials (less if using recycled materials). On a difficulty scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the hardest, Chambliss-Mazerra rates this project a 3 and says the most difficult aspect is hauling and setting the large posts for the arbor.
The crew begins by digging holes for the 6" x 6" posts, cut to a length of about eight feet. The holes are dug to a depth of 18 inches and a diameter of 12 inches .
Once the holes are dug, the crew partially fills them with ready-mix concrete and allows it to harden slightly. Then crew members place cylindrical forms on top of the poured concrete so that the top six inches of each form remains above ground . (These forms are designed to act as a mold for poured concrete and can be purchased in most building-supply centers.)
Next the crew makes sure the forms are level and fills them with concrete. Then workers set a galvanized metal bracket in each concrete-filled form, making sure both brackets are aligned and level. After allowing the concrete to set for 24 hours, crew members remove the form from each concrete base and set the posts in the anchored metal brackets. They check to make sure each post is plumb and secure it with 1/2-inch carriage bolts inserted through the holes of the brackets.
Step Two: Building the Top Trellis and Adding Plants
To begin work on the top trellis of the arbor, workers practice making decorative cuts on lengths of scrap wood: the same cuts will be used on the ends of the header boards. They cut the two 2" x 8" header boards to just over four feet in length.
Next they use a jigsaw to create elongated diagonal notches along the bottom edge of the header boards on both ends (jigsaws may be rented for about $20 a day). Once the notches are made, workers make half-circle cuts with a jigsaw along the edge of the notches, about three inches from the ends of the boards. The use a roll of tape as a template.
Once the decorative cuts are made on both ends of each header board, crew members secure one to the front of the posts and the other to the back; they use coated deck screws to hold the boards in place.
Now the crew moves on to the six crosspieces, made from 2x6s cut to a length of four feet, evenly spaced and attached atop the header boards at a 90-degree angle with coated deck screws. After securing all six crosspieces, workers notch the ends of eight 2x2s, using the same angled notch cut featured on the header boards; in this case, however, they don't include the half-circle cut because the look of these pieces will be more understated .
Once the ends of all eight 2x2s have been notched, the crew secures them on top of the crosspieces, laying them crosswise so they're parallel to the header boards that support the crosspieces. Following the same steps used for the crosspieces, the crew spaces the boards evenly, then checks to make sure they're level and attaches them.
While the crew is busy finishing the arbor, Chambliss-Mazzera creates a planting plan. Her goal is to soften the lines of the fence and add color to the area without obscuring the view through the fence to the raised vegetable beds or detracting from the look of the arbor. Numerous sturdy vines will eventually transform the arbor into a leafy entranceway. Featured plants include
- Fountain grass (Pennisetum), Zones 9-10
- Eulalia grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Nippon'), Zones 4-9 (a cold-climate alternative to fountain grass)
- Rosa 'Matador', Zones 5-9
- Dietes vegeta, Zones 9-10
- Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis), Zones 4-9 (a hardy alternative to Dietes vegeta)
Step Three: Finishing the Arbor
Now the crew sets to work creating the wrought-iron fence that will extend along both the sides of the arbor. The homeowner had several discarded lengths of wrought -iron fencing, and the crew used these in the project. The crew measures the sections of fence to determine where to space the wooden end posts, which measure four feet in height.
Workers dig postholes at the designated spots, digging to a depth of two feet to ensure stability. They set 4" x 4" posts in the holes, using gravel to hold them in place. The gravel is tamped in to ensure that it will hold the posts firmly. (Chambliss-Mazzera says that firmly compacted dirt can also be used for this step.)
After checking the posts to make sure they're plumb, crew members use two-inch L-brackets (painted black) to attach the wrought-iron fencing to the posts. They insert the brackets inside the ends of the top and bottom horizontal rails of the fence sections. Then they screw the opposite side of the brackets to the posts to secure sections.
Step Four: Growing Great Gourds
Horticulturist Dan Berger says growing healthy gourds isn't difficult, but certain guidelines must be followed for good results. Gourds are grown from seed and can be planted in clusters of five or six to ensure a sufficient harvest in case some plants don't thrive.
Gourds grow quickly, producing large foliage. They must be watered daily and also require ample fertilizer and full sun. If these requirements are met, gourds will flourish. Berger recommends purchasing a soluble fertilizer and applying it about four times a year. It can be sprayed directly on the foliage to maximize gourd size .
Gourds have a wide variety of uses. In other cultures gourds are used as dippers , bottles, dishes, musical instruments and so on. In the United States they're commonly used for holiday decorations, birdhouses and craft projects.
Gourds are divided into two main categories: edible and ornamental. After determining which kind of gourds you'd like to plant, the next step is to determine the proper planting time. Ideally gourds should be planted at the end of May, says Berger.
Once the gourds begin growing, make sure the vines have adequate support. Here the seeds have been planted in vegetable beds at the base of the arbor, and twine is strung in an attractive fanlike pattern from the edge of the raised beds to the top of the arbor; the vines will eventually fill in the overhead trellis. (The twine is secured to the arbor with eyebolts anchored at the top of the posts on the inside. Screws--allowed to protrude slightly--along the edges of the raised beds provide a place for the twine to be anchored close to the sprouting plants.) Raised beds provide an ideal place to anchor twine supports near ground level, but Chambliss-Mazzera points out that stakes or posts would work equally well.
Once the twine supports are complete, the vegetable beds are enriched with compost ; chicken or steer manure would also work well as fertilizer, Berger says. The seeds are planted about one-inch deep in the beds and grouped in clusters of five or six . This will create a lush, full look as the plants begin to develop and ensure plenty of gourds, even if all the plants don't survive.
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