How to Make a Shaded Plant Arbor

Mark the corners of the plant arbor’s construction site by driving 12-inch-long wooden stakes into the ground with a hammer. The site should measure 4 feet by 8 feet. Remove the weeds and grass from the topsoil in the corners. Dig 2- to 3-foot holes in the corners with a fence post hole digger. Fill the bottom 4 inches of the holes with gravel. Tamp the gravel down with a garden hoe to create a solid base for the posts.

Place the 4-inch-by-4-inch-by-12-foot posts into the holes. Fill the holes with a mixture of gravel and soil. Use a carpenter’s level to check that the posts are straight up and down. Compact the soil mixture around the posts tightly.

Measure 8 feet from the top of each post with a measuring tape, and mark it on each of the posts with a pencil. Use the carpenter’s level to draw an even line. Fasten one of the 1-inch-by-6-inch-by-4-foot boards across the short end of the arbor using long wood screws and an electric screwdriver. Screw another board at the top of the two posts. Attach two boards to the other short side of the arbor, creating two free-standing rectangles.

Attach the 1-inch-by-6-inch-by-8-foot boards along the long side of the arbor, forming a rectangle frame on the top of the plant arbor. Keep the tops of all the boards even with the tops of the posts.

Secure the 4-foot-by-8-foot sections of premade lattice work along the sides of the arbor using long staples and a staple gun. Staple a 4-foot-by-8-foot section of shade canvas or more lattice work on the top of the plant arbor to create the shade. Paint or treat the arbor with weatherproof paint or stain before planting any vines.