My lavender topiary rusted out after one damp spring, I'm not rebuilding it

I spent last fall wiring a lavender spiral into a cone frame I welded from rebar. Looked great for about 4 months. Then the damp hit in March and the whole thing rusted from the inside, staining the plant brown and killing half the branches. I tried sealing it with rust converter after the fact, but it was too late, the damage was done. Everyone in my local garden club keeps saying rebar is fine if you just paint it. I painted it twice, still failed. Now I'm leaning toward PVC pipe wrapped in chicken wire for the next one, even though it looks cheaper. Has anyone else had a metal frame wreck a plant, or am I the only one stubborn enough to trust bare steel in a wet climate?

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wendy_wilson4h ago

Galvanized wire is the way to go, trust me on this one.