Feedlot Panel Arbor

This is a cattle panel bent into an arbor shape and covered in vines. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Feedlot Panel Arbor

What can be more homey in your garden than a lovely greenery-covered arbor. Well, maybe an apple tree in late summer like this bless this home lap quilt and wall hanging apple tree but short of that, let’s take a closer look at the arbor idea.

If you have shopped for garden arbors, you know they can be pricey. The last ones I saw on sale started over $200.

What if I told you with a little ingenuity, you can add garden arbors to your garden without breaking the bank.

I have shared the garden arbors I am building in my Missouri hillside pollinator garden made out of cattle panels covered in cedar. However, if you need something smaller, take inspiration from this cattle panel arbor made out of a feedlot panel, which is 16 feet by 34 inches wide.

Built by one of my beekeeping students, this feedlot panel arbor was made by bending the panel in half to form the arch.

Clematis vines grow over the panels, covering the metal and providing shade as one walks under it.

The feedlot panel arbor is secured to the ground with rebar to ensure the panel doesn’t open back up.

The cost? Around $25 for the feedlot panel at your local hardware or farm and home center with another $10 for the rebar.

You can find other panels in various lengths and widths so pick one that will best fit your space.

Once the feedlot panel gets covered by the green, one doesn’t even know what forms the foundation of the arbor.

Are you tempted to make one of these?

Charlotte