Metal or wooden rose archway?

[IffWhite]

This is my back garden- ignore the dry grass!

I would like to add an archway to grow roses (roses do well next door so should be ok). It would be centralised between the deck and the rhododendron bushes and lined up with the edge of the steps- so visually 'framing' the apple tree.

Should I go for a metal one which i like, or a wooden one to tie in with deck - i could have one made a bit like the pic...?

Wood will need to be treated every few years so it doesn’t rot. I’d do metal

100% metal. You won’t be able to treat the wood and it will rot.

We've got a wooden one, it looks lovely and we haven't had to treat it yet ...had a few years

Wood, I find metal supports and things rust and fall apart. My pergola has been up 20 years. Just buy the best one you can afford.

It would be centralised between the deck and the rhododendron bushes and lined up with the edge of the steps.
Sorry. I don't totally understand this description. Do you mean that it will be at the far end of the garden, in the lawn, between the deck and the rhododendron? Or it will be at the steps (shown at the bottom of the photo) but lined up to frame the apple tree? It seems a sunnier spot, which the roses will like.
I don't like the former idea. You shouldn't plonk a random arch anywhere, it needs to be 'anchored', it needs to have a relationship with something else. The obvious solution is to make it an 'outpost' of the decking architecture and that answers your question - it should be wood like the rest of the decking.

Here's a video from Joe Swift where he talks about anchoring.

Thanks for all the ideas, everyone

Attached a picture of the aligment distance I mean.

The rhodos and end of deck are both on the edge of a steep slope with 4 steps down to the next level - where the apple tree is.

The garden extends a fair bit further back again, and then very tall trees right at the very far end.

I think wood it right, and yes, could be tied in some way in to the wooden deck. I want the end result to be soft and clothed in floral which helps to create a sort of informal 'room' beyond with a feeling that leads your eye down.

Agree

Thanks. I understand now!
I wonder if a fairly see-through fence, similar to the decking configuration, would work. It would come out at the same height as the decking fence, run along the length of the drop, to the rhodo, and have an arch in the middle. This will be your framework.
Have rose bushes underplanted with a low, clipped evergreen hedge (yew,say) running the length of the fence. The hedge has the added advantage that it will hide the scraggy bottom bits of the rose plants. When you get to the arch, make the surround yew, not rose. Contrasting the arch against solid, undemonstrative yew will make the arch really stand out and emphasise the view beyond.

This is because if you want a view through to a focal point then you have to concentrate on the focal point. You either have a rose-filled arch - which is a thing in itself, and something to look at - or a view-through. You can't have both because your eye doesn't know if it is looking at the mid-point arch or the far-point focal; they will fight for attention.

Also, don't forget that arches work two ways. Don't just plan for the view from the house to the "apple tree room". Plan the view from the apple tree back to the house, too.

I had the same dilemma a few years ago. I went with wood in the end, installed into decent metal ground spikes. I painted all of the parts BEFORE it was put together and installed.

I used Bedec Barn Paint (satin finish) to paint it - had it mixed to a specific RAL code for the colour I wanted. Still looks as good as when it was installed. Picture attached from just after installation. Can’t find a recent one, will try to remember to take one and post it later.

It looks nice

Would metal get too hot in the sun until the rose covers the whole thing?

We have a similar structure made of wood, by a fencing firm, to our design. They used very thick treated timber that has never needed any further treatment. That was 10 years ago and it’s still fine, in fact it’s had a swing attached for most of that time. I’d post a photo, but it’s covered in vine at the moment. I’d get a quote from a fencing and timber company as the wood will be better that a general garden feature seller.