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kristimama

Pictures of pillars, poles, tripods, trellises, obelisk, etc?

kristimama
12 years ago

Hi everyone,

I'm getting ready to plant some roses up against the house this spring. I'm curious about using some wrought iron panels, or perhaps an obelisk, to enhance the garden (i.e. not really for structural support).

Do you have pictures of your roses on or planted around pillars, poles, tripods, rusty panels, wrought iron arches, patina'd obelisks, etc. Is it a simple matter of personal choice, or do some varieties work better on one kind of vertical attachment, while other roses lend themselves towards a different kind of attachment?

One rose in particular that I want to tie up will be reine des violettes... and I'm thinking of using a flat trellis for that. But mostly, I'm looking for inspiration here.

Thanks,

Kmama

Comments (11)

  • cemeteryrose
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you can make it to the Sacramento cemetery, you will see a variety of approaches, mostly done using rebar. In my home garden, I use tripods for a few of the roses, and archways, and espalier the roses along the fences and walls. For a rose like Reine des Violettes, be sure that you can train the canes at an angle, because you then encourage flowering lateral growth along the main cane. Many roses, particularly HPs, bloom only at the top unless the cane arches over. You can wrap the canes around a tripod or tuteur, or spread them out along a flat surface.

    I do have lots of photos, but don't know if I've got time to look for them right now. I really should put together a presentation about roses on structures. We studied how the English did it at Mottisfont. They use a single big post to train roses, with big staples partly driven into the wood to provide an attachment point. In the entry, pillars of The Pilgrim stood trained in that way - very effective. They also built flat panels of two pillars, with wire in between, on which roses could be trained. Nothing flimsy at Mottisfont - these structures were built to last!

    If you come to Sacramento, I'm usually in the garden Tues and Saturday mornings and would be glad to show you around.
    Anita

  • subk3
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I finished building a house last year and have slowly been putting in the gardens. Most of the beds dug, compost added, structure plantings with a handful of perennials in last year. I needed two matching trellises and worked with a metal working guy who in addition to doing boring things like range hoods and curtain rods is also a sculpture artist using found metal objects. I hemmed and hawed all summer about what I wanted--even after the poor climbing roses were put in. (I do NOT recommend this order of things! ;) )

    Last fall he called me to come look at some "found" material. They were the 6' x 10' pieces of 3/8" sheet metal after smaller rectangular pieces of metal had been cut out of them. They were the left over scraps. He cut them down to size put side rails on them that sink into the ground almost 4'. I've left them to rust, I figure I'll be dead before it's a problem. I got them up a couple weeks ago; it took three adults. Wove the roses on and they don't seem worse for the wear. Hopefully the roses will cover most of it and then cascade over the roofs above the door stoops on each side.

    I think we're good to go, sturdy, different, kinda funky and affordable. As I get to it I've got some other things I'm going to set this guy's imagination to.

    Here is a link that might be useful: KAL's Trellis

  • rosefolly
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kmama, my DH Tom has made me a number of copper pipe climbing structures for the roses in my garden. I also train roses up fences.

    There are a good half dozen of the obelisks, which is what I call tower-like, pillar-ish structures, mostly because I can't pronounce 'tuteur' without stumbling. He uses refrigerator tubing for the curved parts on top. He says that these are pretty easy to make. I don't know, never having done any metalwork. There are two in this picture, one close and easy to see, one off the the left and blending into the fence panel.

    {{gwi:242051}}

    Here is a trellis set out from the house supporting Leander so I can get behind and prune it. He has made me several of these trellises, too, customized to fit the space or slope of each location, something I could never get from a purchased trellis. Most of my garden slopes, so this is a valuable thing indeed. For some trellises and all the obelisks the openings are offset, because it is difficult to get 4-way fittings and he mostly uses 3-way fittings. However, he did find an online source for the 4-way fittings once. The 4-way fittings are some other metal, not copper.

    {{gwi:242053}}

    Another one. The rose is Baltimore Belle. Note the four legs supporting the flat panel for greater security. All the flat trellises are constructed this way. Also, this one is on a slope and has longer legs on one side than the other. Looking at the picture I observe that the side on the right needs to be pushed in a bit! This happens over time. Each spring I go around and make everything more upright. It is part of the yearly tidying.

    {{gwi:242055}}

    This long horizontal one supports Buff Beauty perfectly, and also serves as a guard rail to keep me safe. Behind it is a nine foot drop off to a concrete patio. I don't know if it would actually hold me up (though it might), but the thorns keep me from ever testing it. Note that the horizontal bars are offset, since this was made before we found the 4-way fittings and made du with 3-way. I don't think it looks bad.

    {{gwi:242058}}

    And finally, a tall, narrow one by the chimney. The rose is Madame Plantier. Note the gopher basket sticking up from the ground. My eyes have become accustomed to them and I mostly don't notice them anymore -- unless I trip over them.
    {{gwi:242060}}

    In the mild South Bay climate it takes a long time for copper to go verdigris. They darken very slowly. The blue green color shows up first near the solder joints. Some of these are ten years old and are starting to have a light patina all over, but none of them are deep verdigris all over yet.

    If you decide to make these, you will be able to buy the pipe at a local big box store, but you may have to buy some of the fittings online. The 4-way is especially hard to source. I'm not sure where Tom found them, but I would like to get more myself. I feel the need for another trellis approaching...

    Rosefolly

  • aimeekitty
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    wow those are nice trellis!! I wish my DH could make me some like that!

    If you find more info on where to get the fittings, etc, I'd like to know, maybe I could do it myself. seems a lot more sturdy than treated wood. (which is what I have right now for my 3 year old MAC, which will eventually eat the wood and the house...)

  • sienna_98
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Subk3, those trellises are great. Guess I should poke around some and see if I can find someone local who could create a trellis that is as functional as it is striking.

  • windeaux
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cemeteryrose mentioned the pillared roses at Mottisfont. Here's a photo of some of them, courtesy of John in Wessex.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Rose Pillars @ Mottisfont Abbey

  • kristimama
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks everyone. These are fabulous pictures!

  • catsrose
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I also use dead/dying trees as scaffolding.

    Anita, maybe you could put together a book on roses on pillars, with an emphasis on the everyman solution rather than on formal/professional gardens. One of my biggest complaints with HMF photos is that there are so few photos of full grown roses, esp the climbers.

    I'd do it myself, but I zero photo skills.

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    gazillions on google images

    Here is a link that might be useful: rose tuteurs on google images

  • jon_in_wessex
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    '...everyman solution rather than on formal/professional gardens.'

    Stick a pole in the ground. Train rose up it. Everyday enough? :)

    Best wishes
    Jon