HOW DOES YOUR ARBOR GROW? WHETHER WOOD, PLASTIC OR STEEL, PICK THE RIGHT TYPE - AND THE RIGHT PLANTS - FOR YOUR GARDEN.

Byline: Barbara De Witt  Staff Writer

For centuries, couples have strolled under arbors on their way to the altar or simply stood under them to recite their wedding vows in gardens, chapels - and the family back yard.

Nancy Arrigo of Northridge covered her white lattice arbor with ``Fourth of July'' climbing roses so they'd make a stunning entrance for her son and his bride to walk through during their garden wedding.

For Donna Stachowiak of Reseda, an arbor and rose garden were a lifelong dream that her son, Bob, made a reality as a birthday gift - literally tied up with a big pink bow.

``It's a haven for butterflies and birds,'' Stachowiak said of the arbor, adrift in climbing Pinkie roses.

Hanging gardens

Arbors - airy arched walkways that date back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon - give a garden instant status. They create a focal point, provide shade and shelter - and give a touch of formality that can cost up to $1,000. And placed in the front yard, an arbor increases curb appeal.

``Getting the roses trained has been a challenge, but already people drive by and admire the arbor,'' says Bonnie Matthews of Northridge, who is busy getting her arbor ready for her daughter's wedding in October. ``The neighbors tell me they love looking out their window at it.''

Where to buy

Arbors are typically arched or rounded and tall enough to walk under, while a pergola is a super-size arbor than could pass as an outdoor room - but it's not as enclosed as a gazebo.

Although most homeowners buy small, ready-made wooden arbors for about $100 at home improvement stores, a variety of places are now selling them in a vinyl material that resembles white wood but never needs painting, priced at about $400.

But today's trendies will want metal - the elegant new look available in steel (or a cheaper look-alike), usually with a weathered metal finish and available at local garden centers, as well as Restoration Hardware and even Target stores. A natural hit with Southern Californians, these elegant arbors can be equally at home in an English cottage or Mediterranean manse.

Heck, some San Fernando Valley folks have found that arbors can even hide a multitude of landscaping sins.

Just ask Terri and Bill Miller, a Van Nuys couple who disguised their block walls with not one, but two arbors dripping with flowering vines and decorative gates. And Mary Hefferman of Woodland Hills has a beautiful white rose-covered arbor that camouflages gardening equipment and trash cans on the side of her home.

Arbors on the cheap

Think an arbor is out of your budget?

Crafty Julie Adickes of Thousand Oaks spent $20 and 30 minutes to assemble her little metal arbor purchased at a craft store.

``I didn't know how long I was going to live here, so I didn't want to spend a fortune,'' said Adickes who adorned her arbor with hardenbergia, a lightweight lilac vine that ``blooms with flowers all winter long.''

Teri McClain of Granada Hills claims her arbor didn't cost her anything; she made it from three old wooden ladders as a support for her hefty bougainvillea.

Dressing up your arbor

When looking for plants to decorate your arbor, pass on the petunias and pansies and do some homework.

``Before you pick a plant, consider the size of the arbor, the size of the yard it's in and the amount of sun your plants will get, and then plan on it taking about a year for the plants to climb to the top,'' says Jose Puredo, the vine expert at Green Thumb Nursery in Canoga Park.

For instance, a small ready-made arbor probably needs just one plant on each side, but an arbor that's more than 4 feet long may require more plants to cover it.

For small, fragile, inexpensive arbors, Puredo also recommends star jasmine, which he says will bloom almost all year long and is easy for a beginner to train.

On the other hand, if you've got a large, wide arbor, Puredo favors roses or bougainvillea.

``Just make sure you've got enough room to walk through it without being attacked by thorny branches.''

Barbara De Witt, [phone]

barbara.dewitt(at)dailynews.com

Plants for arbors

Rose-covered arbors are a classic, but branch out and consider these other easily trainable climbers, recommended by experts at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge:

--Clematis - A flowering vine that resembles a wild rose.

--Grape vine - Its heavy fruit will look best on a large pergola.

--Wisteria - Romantic, heavy-flowering branch for a sturdy arbor.

--Star jasmine - Lightweight, fragrant vine; easy to train.

--Honeysuckle - Good for small, fragile arbors, attracts bees.

--Solanum (potato vine) - sturdy, flowering vine.

--Trumpet vine - A vigorous vine for a sturdy arbor.

--Bougainvillea - A thorny flowering vine; requires large, wide arbor.

--Trailing geraniums - Colorful, prolific flowers, but branches snap easily.

--Ivy - An English classic that's good for shady areas, but easily gets out of hand.

- Barbara De Witt

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) ON THE COVER: Donna Stachowiak of Reseda in her romantic arbor covered in pink roses that was a birthday gift from her son, Bob.

(2 -- color) At right, see how the arbor forms an entry to the formal garden that attracts butterflies and birds.

(3 -- color) Bonnie Matthews designed her arbor to add charm to the side of her Northridge home, using four redwood posts anchored in cement. She then covered it with roses and created a path made of broken concrete.

(4 -- color) Julie Adickes of Thousand Oaks in her metal arbor made from a $20 craft store kit. Arbors such as hers require lightweight climbing vines like clematis.

Box:

Plants for arbors (see text)