An aficionado of Northwest landscaping, Bob Riebe decided that a cedar arbor would be a perfect addition to his garden on Washington's Bainbridge Island. The arbor covers a stone path that leads from the house to a gazebo overlooking a pond.

Riebe worked out the initial design on paper with Buster Brewer, who had made a smaller rustic arbor nearby. Brewer built the new arbor from scratch, cutting native cedars in spring when the bark peels off easily, then assembling the structure on-site. Peeled poles were dried in the sun for a month before use; the smaller branches that form the lattice over the top and one side were nailed down right after cutting (green branches are less likely to split than dry ones).

To avoid contact with damp earth, the support posts were slipped over drift pins attached to concrete pier blocks about 1 ½ inches above ground level. The whole structure is finished with clear sealer. Along one side, lattice arches frame hanging baskets.

INFO: Buster Brewer, Poulsbo, WA (360/779-9646)