14 Trellis Ideas That Will Add Beauty and Interest to Your Garden (2024)

FAQs

What is an alternative to a trellis? ›

For a trellis alternative, create a wall with raised beds and planters at different heights, like this one by New York City–based Birch & Basil Design. It's ideal for small gardens, such as those on urban patios, as you make the most of vertical space and leave room for furniture and a grill.

Choose the right location to garden vertically – Trellises can block the sun from reaching your garden if placed in the wrong location. To maximize sunlight, position trellises on the north edge of your garden bed or next to a fence or wall.

Trellises are designed for climbing plants. Just what climbing plant you choose depends on your space's lighting conditions, climate, and personal taste, but possibilities abound. Want a romantic vibe? Go for climbing roses.

The easiest trellis to build is a simple A-frame shape, made from something as simple as bamboo and tied together with twine.

A lattice is made up of wooden strips that cross each other, most commonly, in a square or diagonal pattern. A trellis is a wooden frame that's used to support climbing plants. You'll also occasionally see the words arbor and pergola being used with lattice and trellis.

A simple trellis of lightweight netting will give adequate support. You can also attach sturdy wire between the two stakes at top and bottom, then weave twine between the upper and lower wire, so that the vines can twine up these vertical cords.

Increases sunlight. Like all fruiting plants, cucumbers need full sun to produce fruit—that's about eight hours of full sun. Growing cucumbers on a trellis will elevate vines above other plants in the garden, preventing the fruit from getting shaded out by other plants.

For a simple vegetable trellis that will last for a few seasons, attach plastic netting, also known as poultry netting to two pound-in metal garden stakes. You're done in a few minutes!

Although trellises can take many shapes and sizes, they all tend to be made of weatherproof metal or wood. They're also vertical in form, so that they can achieve their major function, which is helping plants grow and climb upward.

What kind of trellis for cucumbers? ›

Cucumbers aren't particularly worried about what type of trellis you use. The tendrils of the vines will grab fences, string, wire trellis, or tall cages and the plant will climb its way up. The structure just needs to be secured strongly enough to bear the weight of the vine and fruit.

We recommend a trellis that's tall enough to accommodate growing vines, but not so tall that you'd have to stretch to pick. Our trellises measure 6 feet tall, but anywhere from 4 to 6 feet will work for growing most vining plants vertically. If your vines begin to grow out of hand, pinch off the top tip of the vine.

Trellises add beauty to the kitchen garden, but play an important part in providing vertical space for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and peas. Rooted Garden trellises are at least 5' tall to support vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers, that grow really tall, really quickly!

Offer the trellis up to the wall in the desired position, check it is level and mark each of the four corners. The bottom of the trellis should be 30-45cm (1-1.5 feet) above ground level to prevent rotting and avoid breaching your damp proof course.

They will sprawl along the ground unless you support and contain them. Even determinate varieties, which reach a certain height and stop growing, benefit from stakes and cages. Their fruits will be cleaner and less likely to rot or become food for slugs. Trellises also help prevent disease.

A good solution is to use wire within a wooden frame to build a trellis. This can be purchased in any thickness, to suit your garden and plants. These trellises can also create a handy border and section off parts of your garden, so they're decorative as well as practical.

A trellis is typically incorporated into gardens, and used primarily for climbers such as grapevines, clematis, ivy, and climbing roses or other climbing plants. The term pergola generally refers to trellis-work which is laid horizontally above head height to provide a partial roof in a garden or patio area.