First off the only requirements for making these is:

NOTE: There are some links to show what I have in mind. You'll have to manually copy and paste the them into your browser then click send. I don't know how to get the thing to just display it as a link you can click on in the post and it'll take you to the site.

*The materials for making them are inexpensive and easy to find

*They're easy to make (I'm not really a do-it-yourself person when it comes to this sort of thing)

*They can fit in containers

*They can be used again (basically they're sturdy enough

that I don't have to remake them year after year; this will take time each year, which is at a premium because I have a very short growing season, and will cost money to remake each year)

I did make a post on this in the vegetable gardening forum. Unfortunately all though there were many suggestions, I have absolutely no idea to implement them. It's not that I'm not willing to; it's just since I couldn't see how they did it (with a picture or photo, etc.) I don't know to.

I learn things visually. If somebody just tells me how to do it, by describing it, it's not going to make any sense to me.

On top of that, the methods they were suggesting were those used for the traditional row format in the ground. I use container gardening, so I don't know if their ideas could be applied to container gardening, due to restricted space.

The growing space I have is limited. It's a little walkway

in my backyard, that is a few feet long; that's my gardening space. There is also a community garden with a decent size plot which I can put my containers on, I just don't know if I'm going to do that yet (trying to direct sow the stuff there is a really bad idea, tried it last year, didn't work out very well since the soil isn't very fertile; since the plot belongs to the city I can't actually amend the soil).

Here are some pictures as to what I have in mind:

http://www.adam-rodgers.com/

With the first one it is on the site, you'll just have to scroll down to find it; look for something that says "garden chronicle week 3-melons". It'll be a red link, just click on it, and it'll show you the picture.

The 2nd is this:

Once again you'll have to scroll down to find the picture, but it's there. It's the fifth picture down (after the picture of basket of veggies (it is labeled below the picture as 'the kocher's tomato harvest') the picture below

after some text, is labeled 'kevin clarke's melon patch' and has a setup I'm also interested in.

http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/lessons-from-gardeners/

Now my main questions are with the melons. They'll be smaller varieties (personal size essentially, about 2-3 lbs. per fruit with them). However they aren't bush types; as a result they'll take up tons of space and their vines will be very long. So I'm assuming that for these type of plants and growing them in containers (which is what I plan to do) trellising them (both the vines and the fruit) will be necessary? It isn't going to be vertical growing. The material will have to be sturdy, I was thinking of nylon netting will this be sturdy enough? For the actual 'poles' themselves I was doing to do PCP (the pipes) or some sturdy type of wooden poles or dowels, however would either of these be too flimsy?

I can't really afford metal wire; somebody has suggested concrete reinforcement wire but I don't know where to find it, how much it'll cost, and if it'll be strong enough. Besides, wouldn't you use that for the trellising material itself rather than for the supports (such as poles and the like)

Also the size of my containers will be about 30-40 gallons and they're rectangular in shape.

There is also this option as well which is a 'gardening obelisk':

Step 1

Cut one end of each pole at at a 45-degree angle. This creates a pointed tip that will be easier to hammer into the ground.

Step 2

Hammer a single pole into the ground at a about a 65-degree, which is 3/4's of a right angle. Pound the pole in at least 1 foot (2 feet is better). The angle does not have to be exact. A greater angle will make the obelisk slightly taller and require the other 3 poles to be closer together; a lesser angle would make it slightly shorter with the poles further apart.

Step 3

Place a second pole about 16 inches from the first pole and hammer it in, also at a 65-degree angle.

Step 4

Repeat Step 3 for the other two poles. The distance apart does not have to be exact, but try to get the tops to cross at the same location. You should now have the framework of a simple obelisk.

Step 5

Wrap cord around the four poles where they meet at the top.

Step 6

Create vertical support using the cord. Secure the end of the cord to one pole about 2 inches above ground level. Stretch the cord to the next pole about 4 inches above ground level, wrap around the pole and move on to

the next pole and about 6 inches above ground. Wrap around the 3rd pole and proceed back to first and up 2 inches more. At the first pole where you started, you should now have another wrap at 10 inches above ground level. Continue wrap the cord around the tepee structure, gradually increasing the level of the cord as the spiral gets higher.

I'm pretty sure it recommends bamboo poles, but somebody said those would be too flimsy. I don't know if they will or not, as I've never used them before. However if they will be too flimsy then a sturdier recommendation for the poles (to support the trellising) would be much appreciated.

I basically just need to know what the dimensions would have to be for the thing. Would it essentially be the dimensions (length and width) of my container?

Here is that info:

30 gallon

Shape-rectangular; color-gray

Length:28-1/2" (2 feet, 4 inches)

Width:19" (1-1/2 feet plus the additional leftover inch)

Depth: 17" (one inch short of 1-1/2 feet)

32 gallon

Shape-rectangular; color-gray

Length: 30-7/8" (2 feet, 6 inches)

Width:20" (1-1/2 feet plus the leftover 2 inches)

Depth: 17-1/2" (just shy of 1-1/2 feet)

I was also thinking of 2' x 4' and 3' x 5' that's if I can find them or afford them but I don't know.