Review on Black Rose Garden Arch By Gardman R350 - 75 Inches Tall, 39 Inches Wide And 19 Inches Deep by Jeff Hall

So many mixed reviews about this arch but really the quality of the item relative to its extremely low price is really very good. The segments are metal with an epoxy coating and are rather sturdy once it is all assembled and screwed together. Yes, the instructions benefit from a second (and maybe a third read) read but I assembled the item by myself in under 30 minutes. It's easier to assemble on the floor (as the instructions suggest) and then move it to wherever you need. And if you follow the male-female openings, they fit together quite well. It's a good height but could benefit from being tied to a fence or other stationary post. I was going to use the arch as it was designed but realized that I could create side by side arches and have since ordered another kit to create 4 connecting arches for my various vines. So, here are some notes for the assembly. First, take note of the male/female openings on the longer segments. Start with the top of the arch. Fit the L-shaped connectors BEFORE slipping the plastic sleeves onto the female openings (otherwise the connectors will not slide over the sleeves). Then insert the male end into the female end and keep going with the rest of segments always remembering to slide the L-connectors on before adding another segment with a sleeve on it. For your reference, the ideal spacing between the horizontal bars is noted on the instructions' image of the arch. I did not have a problem with screwing the screws into the L-connectors but do it carefully because I can see how they might break easily as noted by other reviewers. Finally, if you prefer to use the segments and create side by side arches with horizontal connectors in between, please see my image of my completed arch. I did this because my vines were already intertwined in a trellis and I did not want to untangle them at this time so the arches surround the existing trellis structure. And, remember, this is very affordable support for vines but it's not really meant to be an attractive garden structure. It's sturdy enough but probably not strong enough for mature wisteria or heavy weighted vines. I can see this arch doing well with roses, clematis, small grape vines etc. I only paid around $35 on amazon since it was discounted. Who can beat that? (PS. The rods can heat up very quickly if left sitting in the sun while you assemble the unit so be careful. Not sure if this could be a problem with young plants - my plants almost cover the entire arbor.)