Bentwood trellises are pretty, but most of us don't have access to the green willow saplings you need to make them. Dry wood, on the other hand, is fairly easy to come by, since trees get thinned and excess bamboo gets harvested. You can make a simple trellis from such prunings, or substitute 1-by-1 stakes from the nursery or lumberyard. The finished structure is 7 feet 41/2 inches tall and 3 feet wide.
TIME: about 2 1/2 hours (plus pruning)
COST: $5, $30 if you buy stakes
Tools and materials
• 12 straight branches, limbs or canes, each approximately 1" in diameter. These include (letters correspond with those on drawing):
• Three pieces, each 3 feet long (A)
• One piece, 6 feet long (B)
• Two pieces, each 5 feet long (C)
• Two pieces, each 25 inches long (D)
• Two pieces, each 221/2 inches long (E)
• Two pieces, each 391/2 inches long (F)
• One box 13/4-inch nails
• Hammer
• Spool of floral wire
