No, they, they can't take any weight as are just two thin rods in the ground. If you put weight on them they keel straight forward. A tripod, deeply planted is a much stronger structure.
So you could make the tripod from the same metal rods? Or do you buy them?
I used the bent metal rod system very successfully in my last garden to hold up all sorts of plants such as tall echinops, thalictrum, macleaya. The trick is to position the two rods level with the back of the clump and push them in deep so they hold. Then the horizontal U shape at the top cradles the plant and is invisible.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
It's also important to get the support in early. That's a common mistake many people make - leaving it until the plant is big, and then it's hard to put any support in without causing damage, or making the plant look trussed up. I use supports from this company - which are a ready made version of what @Obelixx is talking about https://www.plantsupports.co.uk/
I don't grow a lot of floppy perennials, and I use other planting for some support, but I do use them on my oakleaf hydrangeas, as they can have a lot of heavy growth at the bottom, and a few other things like taller lilies, especially if they're more exposed to wind.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Generally speaking, if a perennial is flopping it's being grown too "soft" but in my last garden we were exposed to strong winds at times - crest between the Meuse and Scheldt basins and nothing to stop the wind between the Channel and the Urals - and a horizontal echinops or thalictrum is not a good look so the supports went in early and were soon covered.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I agree with both @Obelixx and @Fairygirl. I must currently have about 20 homemade iron supports in my garden. I find them extremely efficient and hardly visible at this time of the year. It takes a little time and effort to make them, but the cost is negligible and they last for ever. An excellent investment.
Interesting. I have used them as described and haven't found them useful at all. I suspect two hoops placed in mirror to each to each other might be more supportive. Or for v short plants.
Mine are home made using Montys instructions, jungle of a garden here and they’re fine, they need one metre long legs at least so they go into the ground for about 18”. Smaller plants I can place them in a complete circle bigger plants like peony’s I put two in,.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
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I use supports from this company - which are a ready made version of what @Obelixx is talking about
https://www.plantsupports.co.uk/
I don't grow a lot of floppy perennials, and I use other planting for some support, but I do use them on my oakleaf hydrangeas, as they can have a lot of heavy growth at the bottom, and a few other things like taller lilies, especially if they're more exposed to wind.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...