I poked holes in the disks and balls before putting QuikWall on them, then made sure not to get any in the holes. After they cured I just put them on the rod. On the bottom I attached a big washer to the rod about 6" from the bottom. The balls/discs just sit on that - they aren't attached to the rod at all.
To move it I just take the top ball off, move it and push it in the ground, then put the ball back on. That way you can even hammer it into the ground if you need to without damaging anything. They would definitely hold up in your weather, but if you paint them you'd need to seal them.
