Garden Trellis Design Made Easy

Now that you’ve grown that perfect garden in your backyard or at that dream of your dreams verdant entranceway to your home, you are left to design the accents that will make your gardening creations complete.

One of the accessories that will give your garden the feeling of Eden is the garden trellis. There are many types from which to choose, meaning that your garden trellis design can be as unique as you are.

Before you go ahead and construct your trellis, you should be aware of some design aspects so that you can make the right choice in materials and style.

When you go to the drawing board, keep in mind the purpose for your structure. Are you building the trellis to exist as a piece of art or for a practical purpose, such as a ladder for one of your climbing plants? If it is for pleasure only, you needn’t worry about anything except structural integrity and visual appeal.

However if you intend it to act as a ladder for a climbing plant, you need to consider the growth pattern of your plant. For instance, a trellis design for a rose bush needs to be made from stronger material to enable it to support the weight of the bush as it climbs toward the heavens. If you are building it for an ivy plant, you need to ensure that there is enough space between the slats so that the ivy can weave itself around your structure.

You can design your trellis as a freestanding structure such as a pyramid, wall or an archway, depending on the effect you want. You can construct your trellis from a myriad of materials such as wood, plastic or metal. In choosing your material, you must consider the environment where your trellis will spend all of its day.

Natural wood is beautiful, but it is vulnerable to weather conditions and will deteriorate over time. You can offset the weathering effect by staining and sealing or painting your trellis. However you must be aware of the effect certain chemicals will have on the plants you intend to climb through your trellis.

Metal trellis structures are more durable and have greater structural integrity, but they are more expensive. Creating one from scratch would be difficult unless you are a welder. Plus, you will have to proof your metal trellis with paint; therefore, you should be aware of the chemicals you are using to seal it.

If you use plastic or vinyl for your trellis, you will not have to seal the product; however, these structures aren’t as strong as metal and wood – not to mention that plastic isn’t easily formed without tools that most novice carpenters do not possess.

If you do your research and pick the proper materials, you will be able to build a beautiful trellis that you can be proud of.

For more information on garden structures to grow plants, please read these articles:

Wrought iron arbors for your garden

Using vinyl arbors for a nice accent