Learn How to Make a Garden Arch from pruned tree branches! This DIY garden arch took less than 30 minutes to create and required very little skill to achieve. Find out how I did it…

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The Frugal Gardener!

Thats me! How wonderful it is to rely on nature and not my bank account! This Garden arch made from tree branches, cost me absolutely nothing! After pruning I found myself with a bunch of freshly cut limbs just crying out for a project. Instead of tossing them on the fire I built a rustic garden arch with far more charm than your average run of the mill metal arches.

Which Tree Branches to use

Any woody branches will do. Willow branches tend to work the best as they bend so easily, but most tree branches have the necessary flexibility to create this kind of arch. As long as they are sturdy and strong they will work fine

What Size Branches will you need

You want Branches that are roughly 8-10 ft long- plenty of head room! This accounts for the height of the arch and creating the curve at the top.

What tools will you need?

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In order to prune tree branches in the first place you will need a Long Handle Lopper tool then smaller pruning shears for cutting away any lower smaller branches. Twine or Wire and Scissors for helping to secure fiddly branches (Not always necessary, but can be used for extra reinforcement)

How To Make a Garden Arch from Tree Branches

Pick eight branches of similar size around 8-10 ft in length. Trim any lower secondary branches, so the bottom 2-3 ft of each branch is bare

Decide where you want your arch erected and clear the ground of any weeds or stones.

Divide the branches into 2 sets of four

Now decide how wide you would like your arch to be, mine is just over 1 metre, which allows plenty of room for walking through it.

On each side push 4 tree branches into the ground around 20-30cm deep and 5-10 cm apart, this should be sufficient to prevent movement (mine have survived 2 storms!)

Now begin to tangle the upper branches to form a curved arch. You are essentially twisting and entwining branches from the left side to the right side. At this point you can use wire or twine to help secure the upper branches if you feel you don’t have enough limbs to create a heavy entanglement. *Top Tip– Instead of wire and twine you could use vines of ivy as a kind of rope to secure each side (Ivy can be easily found in woodlands)

Why Have A Garden Arch In Your Garden?

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Garden arches are a wonderful addition to small and Large Gardens! Offering great flexibility for Vertical gardening or simply featuring as a showpiece.

Growing Flowers Up an Arch -Wonderful for climbing flowers, use a garden arch as a showcase for your beautiful blooms! I Particularly love climbing roses on Garden Arches and Pergolas. My favourite fast growing Rose varieties are Golden Showers Climbing Rose and Iceberg Climbing Rose I have these both growing at the Allotment and at Home.

Make an Entrance– A garden Arch can be quite the entrance! Draw attention to it with festoon lights, flowers and vines. You could even make it that extra magical by filling it with perfume! Plant Jasmine or Honeysuckle beside it for a heavenly fragrance as you walk through it.

Make a covered walkway– Line them Up! Position several arches in a line and create a covered walkway with vines and flowers growing overhead

Grow Food Vertically -I love to grow runner beans and french Beans on my arch, a wonderful vertical solution for gardeners who are short on space. Lifting your crops off the ground can also improve air circulation and reduce the risk of fungal problems. Slugs and snails will be less of a problem too! Other Vegetables you could grow on an arch are Cucumbers, peas, and even Pumpkins!

Also See my ‘How To Grow Runner Beans’ and ‘How To Grow Neckargold Beans’

Highlight a focal point– Garden arches are wonderful for showcasing a bird bath, water feature or garden sculpture…Treat it like a living picture frame with the focal point in the centre

Create a Sculpture– Like I did! Recycle Branch Offcuts and create something unique for your garden a one of a kind sculptural archway