Written by Heather Zubiate
have a plan for this pallet...I do!
With the help of my "Z" men, I'm going to turn this pallet...
Into THIS! Pretty great, huh? Yes, I know, I know, I hate construction, but I'm compelled to create, so here we go again! My ever enterprising husband spied with his little eye that our neighbor's son had some pretty hefty pallets in the back of his work truck. He works for a glass company. So Robert asked him if we could have those pallets. As my husband always says, "It never hurts to ask." Atlast, we were given the nod of approval, we could have the pallets - score! And were those things ever hefty! We broke a couple of boards getting the pallets apart.
So, this is what greeted you when you stepped out into out backyard. The bower vine was on the left, and a pink jasmine on the right, which looks resplendent in this photo, and it smelled divine. But the trellis that was holding these vigorous plants up was a hodgepodge of a failed metal trellis and wooden stakes and poles with a copious amount of zip ties. It would have been fine if the jasmine hadn't croaked. So I decided it had to go. I wanted something more substantial to replace it, something that could handle a beast of a plant, maybe a wisteria, or some climbing roses! And maybe even provide a place for alfresco dining. So I came up with that drawing. |
First, the holes had to be dug, with a hand shovel. I didn't have a post hole digger, so I used the hand shovel and some good ol' fashioned elbow grease to get the job done. "Why in the world would you do it that way?"-- you may be wondering. Well, I didn't want the holes to be too big since we were going to plant around the beams. So I dug them narrow and deep. The ground was nice and soft thanks to several rains.
With the ten foot posts firmly in place, it was time to build the rails for the little bird house fence boards, trellis rails, and supports for the overhead plank awning. The trellis is following the curve of the concrete patio, so....it wasn't easy to put the top and bottom rails up -- than angle cuts -- you see? They were a real pain in the tushey, but we got it done. Then I stained the old fence boards and used the broken pallet slats for the pieces that the plants would climb on.
Then, going against my husbands strongly worded admonishment to wait to put up the overhead slats, I carefully and slowly put up them up by myself. I know....ha ha ha! It was rather thrilling, especially to see his face when he came home and it was done!
After the climbing rose was planted...
This is what it looks like. Not exactly like my original plan, but it's pretty close...
...now all I need to do is finish the right side with the last panel. To be continued.