An archway made of bent metal rods and wire

sits in the middle of our circle driveway.........constructed and placed there by my husband

when we first moved out to our country home. Cactus and wild grass has grown under it and all around it...........although one year I tried to raise grapes to grow up the arbor......

but something ate them down. 

For years it has just stayed wild and un manicured until recently.......I have begun to clear the cactus and grass 

and I have been making cement path stones 

and decorating them with the natural elements

that is available all around me. 

Slowly.......very slowly.............cement work is very time consuming ..........I am making a good size 

path/floor for the floor under the archway.

I am also making cement pumpkins.........because I love pumpkins.....

and their cement leaves

and I have placed a row of them along one side of the archway.

Slowly, day by day, week by week......the ground floor is filling in

I gather colorful rocks to place between the cement  stones

and I am filling in the side places with the smooth egg shaped stones

and Homer is trying to fill a space.......

The plastic sheeting along the sides look terrible I know, but it is protecting the plants I have planted in long wood boxes from the harsh wind and heat that blows strong in this area

I wanted a plant that would climb and make shade for the archway ......

so I planted Loofah sponge plant.

It has leaves much like a grape or pumpkin and grows the long thick loofah sponge that one can find in beauty baskets.  

I also have a trumpet vine..........it got chewed down by a varmint........

however, I kept watering it and surrounded it with chicken wire and now it is growing back.  

I also have a cactus garden  on the pathway up to the archway

I find these lovely round cactus( Copiapoa echinoides) growing all over the wooded grounds and I  dig up a few to place in the garden or in pots like this large beauty. 

I am also making cement quail.........I hope to have a long string of them going throughout the garden

With the exception of the plastic sheeting........the archway is beginning to look

pretty.....or at least that is what I am hoping for. 

After the harsh summer days have died down, I can remove the plastic and hopefully the vines will be filled out and over the archway.

I think however, if the trumpet vine recovers completely that next year 

it will be cascading over the archway with no loofah sponge. 

So tell me.........do you have an area in your garden or grounds that you are working on ?

What kind of plants do you like best for climbing?

I would love to hear