Thank you, Seedmama, for posting this. I'm going to show this to my hubby today. I think I might put one of these in the veggie bed, and one on our little walkway and climb some morning glories up the side...

Love your arch! It really creates a nice entrance to your 'woodsy path'. :)

there is a thread about it in the vertical gardening forum.
Just thought that it would be another explanation.

Here is a link that might be useful: thread about cattle panel trellis'

Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing seedmama, those are easy to find here. I'll be making a couple of those this spring.

Thanks to graylady for adding the original thread as well, I loved the pics :-)

Wendey

Oh, I like that!

I'd love to copy but I think I've made the paths into my "woodland garden" too narrow. I'll live to regret that - I can only manage a wheelbarrow in there, not the garden cart I pull behind the riding mower. LOTS more hauling and hefting this way.

I need to look into that arbor of yours, though. Somehow I've managed to inherit a lot of seeds for vines this year. WHERE to put them!?

I don't understand about putting a fold in your panel. How long of a panel did you use?
Thanks

Yes, great idea!
I don't understand about not loading them into a pickup bed though. That's exactly how we've always brought them home...where ever that was at the time for construction of our dog areas. All you have to do is bring bright colored flags to attach to the panel ends and a few tie downs.

Proudgm...cattle panels are a standard 16' long and 2 choices of width of either apprx 2' or 4'...

Vera

What a great idea!! I have 3 entrys to my woods and was looking for ideas...and I was going to make a teepee out of young trees for cukes but I like this better, I LOVE the arch. Is there any possible way to bend this in the parking lot at the store to fit it into the truck? Or would we cature too much attention? LOL

Thank you for posting your idea and photos. I too have been trying to figure out something for my potager. Below is a link from a thread posted earlier that shows some more great photos of rebar and pig fencing. They are very inspirational.

You'll see, this version involved welding. I didn't even want to bring up the subject with DH since he doesn't want do this. Your version is much easier.

Here is a link that might be useful: More trellis from fencing ideas

Thanks greylady for posting an additional link. While it isn't the one I originally used for great directions, it does a much nicer job of showing the potential beauty of this cheap and easy arch.

Proudgm, the cattle panel is 16 feet long, so I refer to folding it end to end to get a crease at the 8 foot point . The crease defines where the peak of the arch is. I tried not creasing it just to see what a round top arch would look like. It didn't appeal to me, but it might be just the thing for you.

Shasta, the thread from greylady makes reference to folding in the parking lot, and that makes a lot of sense to me. I just didn't think of it. I'd probably still take a helper though. The employees at my particular lumber yard embody the fact that they have the cheapest prices in town. I wouldn't trust them to fold a one dollar bill. You can fold them almost completely flat because the fullness will come back when you pull down on the inplace arches from overhead. You'll still need tie downs.

The caution against hauling full length panels in a pick up is well founded. A standard pick up has a bed 8 feet long. That would leave a full 8 feet sticking out. Basic physics suggests it wouldn't be a well balanced load. If you live in a completely rural area where people are accustomed to red flags on loads, and farm equipment puttering down public highways you might chance it. For me, however, the road from lumber yard to home caters to a demographic blend of city slickers and county bumpkins. Store policy or no, I felt an 8 foot extension was just asking for an accident.

Shasta, you won't attract any more attention folding panels in the parking lot than you will pulling containers out of the recycle bin. Go for it!

Whenever we have bought them we have brought them home from the lumber yard in a pick up truck.
However, they always "rainbow" them in the back (they make an arch!) so there is no part hanging out the back, the tail gate holds them in.

This is exactly what I have been looking for! Only problem is...how do I get them home? I'll need 5 or 6 to start....

DIRTBET

Aren't they too wide to do that? 52" wide is wider than a pickup bed....

I love these. Here's a link to the cattle panel arch I made last fall.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:365719}}

Pogo...you related to Bilbo Baggins?? :)

Love the arch where it bows out a little at the sides! Sure beats boring strait trellis any day!!!

Dirtbert,
You're method of "rainbowing" them makes perfect sense. That's what I love about this forum...how friendly forum members share with each other for the betterment of all! It also makes me glad I posted the photo to get the thread going, even though it wasn't a perfectly beautiful example, all neat and tidy. I'm also glad to know I don't have to drive all the way to Dad's, unload his trailer, go get my load, return the trailer and reload Dad's equipment. This way is much easier.

Zengeos,
Think about the 52" running the LENGTH of the pickup. When you tuck each 52" end in along the length of the pickup it will automatically form the rainbow shape dirtbert is referring to, and will make your pickup resemble a covered wagon. Or maybe I'm mistaken about which way is best to position them. Maybe its a covered wagon turned 90 degrees?

Just wondering if anyone knows of a source for the cattle panels in south central Michigan in the Lansing area?
Thanks for any help.
Mike

Mike,
I did a google search for "lansing michigan farm supply" and got 10 plus promising leads. Three of them are local Tractor Supply Company locations.

Hey guys,

I know this is what 6 (??) years after... a long enough time so I'm not really expecting a reply. But this looks so nice and cheap, that I couldn't resist. I didn't see any mention of growing roses on those trellises. Do any of y'all think they would be strong enough? Is there a reason no one mentioned that, or would that work just as well as lighter, smaller vines? :) Grace

I have seen roses grown on them. Secure them to the ground with really sturdy stakes. Good luck!