How to build a Rose Arbour

When our rotten rose arbour collapsed I knew I would have to build a new one. But, did I know how to buld a rose arbour? No, so I looked at photographs in magazines and chose a simple square design. I bought 4inch by 3inch treated timber for the uprights and 4 by 2 for the cross members. I dug holes a foot deep for the 8foot uprights to stand in and mixed up some concrete. My favourite mix for concrete is 3 parts sand, 2 parts gravel and 1 part cement. Mix these together thoroughly and add water to form a nice, semi - sloppy concrete. I put an upright into each hole and filled them in with the mixture. Using a spirit level I made sure they were upright and tacked a piece of wood across the pairs to hold them until the concrete set. While I was waiting for the concrete to set, I made up the cross members. The ones across the top, I cut with a jig saw to form a decorative end on them and the ones that fit front to back at the top of the uprights, I just cut into a point. I made three cross members for the very top and cut slots in them so they would fit over the front to back ones.

The following day when the concrete had set, I removed the wooden braces and started the assembly. I drilled holes in the front to back timbers where they would meet the uprights, and screwed them in place. Then I fitted the cross members by slotting them down over the front to back struts and drilled holes through them and screwed them down. It was starting to take shape. I then made up a pair of lattices out of inch and a half by threequarters treated timber, to fit on the sides so that the roses would have some support when they were growing. The last job was to build a smaller lattice to fit across the top.