Merril and Gary Jackson always wanted to build an arbour in their garden, but could never find the time as they were too busy caring for sick family members. Their 6 year-old daughter, Lilia, caught chicken pox followed by immobilising secondary infections. She developed vasculitis and cellulitis followed by an extreme case of deep vein thrombosis, which is hampering her efforts to walk properly. Merril has also been caring for her terminally ill mum, who passed away last year.
Merril wrote to Burke’s Backyard asking for Scott Cam’s help with the arbour. Scott arrived at the Jackson home in time to surprise Lilia before she left for school. He built an arbour outside her bedroom window, so that she could look out and see it covered with flowers. An arbour is a frame for climbing plants, often built over a pathway. Scott explained that arbours can be as elaborate as you wish to make them, with columns, rafters, arches and trellis screens. For Lilia, he built a simple arbour costing less than $400.
Tools
Materials
Here’s how
Scissor shovels cost between $40-$60 and are available from hardware stores.