33 Simple Garden Trellis Ideas for Climbing Plants
These smart ideas provide style to your space.
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Gardeners don't usually get too far into their hobby before deciding they want to grow some vining plants.
Maybe your vegetable garden is ready for some cucumbers. Or you've been eyeing the neighbors' clematis. Or perhaps you're going all in on cottagecore and want climbing roses everywhere.
Either way, you'll need some kind of trellis—or more than one—to help keep those plants off the ground! Luckily it doesn't have to be super expensive or complicated be attractive. You can get creative with purchased garden ornaments such as an obelisk, arch, or ladder, or you can make one yourself one with a few basic household items.
Of course, a trellis is practical for supporting plants, but it also can be beautiful and add an interesting accent to your garden's design all on its own. Ahead, our favorite trellis ideas for every style of garden.
More ideas for your beautiful garden:
Cottage Garden Arch
This ever-so-classic garden arch makes for an inviting entrance to your home or backyard, but training climbing roses over it? Stunning.
Lattice Fence Trellis
With its large holes, a lattice fence doesn't tend to offer much privacy—until you start training some morning glories or clematis over it. Then you've got a beautiful looking screen that can offer semi-privacy while also helping to grow something!
Old Grapevine Branches Trellis
One of the easiest things you can do is to fashion a trellis out of materials you already have on hand. Here, some old, thicker vining branches have been woven together using some thinner vines, then allowed to dry.
This makes a great light trellis for small vines like sweet pea.
A Vintage Ladder
Ivy, Virginia creeper, and other vining plants don't need much encouragement, especially during the growing season.
You can attach a vintage ladder to your outdoor wall or shed—either leaning and attached just at the top, or securely at the top and bottom— and then direct a few of the tendrils to start making their way up.
Salvaged Window Trellis
A salvaged window proves the perfect support for a climbing vine, such as star jasmine.
Remove the glass panes and hang on a wall or rest on your potting shed worktable.
A Moveable Trellis
Ideal for vining vegetables, such as these cucumbers, this container garden trellis idea lets you grow beans, tomatoes, or other "tall" plant veggies without having to get them in the ground.
You can also move the plant into a greenhouse or indoors during cold snaps, or to avoid hungry nighttime critters.
Branches and Twine Trellis
We love the rustic look of sweet peas scrambling up cut saplings, such as poplar or birch, tied with twine. Forage large sticks from your garden, then lash together in casual fashion at the top.
This won't hold heavy plants, but it's fine for annuals such as sweet peas or morning glories.
Vintage Fence Trellis
Lean a vintage fence piece against your house for a quick, easy solution for climbing plants. Shop flea markets for the best finds.
DIY Pergola
Pergolas can be used not only as a support structure for vines such as clematis, but they also provide shade.
Before building, call your local utilities to mark the location of underground lines because you'll need to sink the posts at least one-quarter their heights.
Get the tutorial at A Piece of Rainbow.
T-Post Trellis
This sweet, rustic little trellis can be made from posts, poplar twigs, and twine, though you can use zip ties, too. Use bigger branches on the bottom and smaller ones up top, alternating the thick ends on each row.
Get the tutorial at Chicken Scratch NY.
Honeycomb Trellis
Lovely in itself, this hexagon-shaped honeycomb trellis will add serious zing to your property.
Use a miter saw to make the hexagonal cuts, then mount the trellis onto a fence, making sure it screws into all the horizontal supports.
Get the tutorial at Mama Needs a Project.
Plastic Netting Trellis
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!
Espaliered Trees
Espalier is a form of pruning that allows trees to grow flat against a wall or in a line.
Though it's not strictly a "trellis," espalier does provide a fence-like appearance for privacy—though this technique does take time and effort to achieve.
Get espalier tips from Oregon State University.
Fancy Trellis
This beautifully made trellis is suitable for showing off at the entrance to your home, especially draped with a flowering vine like clematis. Be sure to use pressure-treated lumber and a stain/sealer so it stands the test of time.
Get the tutorial at HandyDadTV.
Bamboo Trellis
Bamboo lasts forever! Buy a package of tall bamboo pieces, lean them towards each other, and lash the tops together. You've got a bean tunnel that can be disassembled and stored easily come winter.
Cedar Board Clematis Trellis
Jazz up your boring backyard fence with a trellis that will give flowering vines, such as jessamine, the support they need to climb high. For this project, cedar boards cut into short strips make a simple trellis.
Get the tutorial at The Handyman’s Daughter.
Wire Wall Trellis
Get greenery going on your brick with this wire trellis, which uses masonry anchors, eye hooks and cable wire to create a foundation for your plants to cover.
Get the tutorial at Salvaged Living.
Fir Board Trellis with Planter Box
Two projects in one, this trellis is mounted inside a handy planter. The box has casters mounted on the bottom, making it easy to move when necessary.
Get the tutorial at Deuce Cities Henhouse.
No-Weld Copper Trellis
You don’t need to be able to weld to assemble this beautiful copper pipe trellis—it's done with super-strong glue! The copper will age to a beautiful patina in time.
Get the tutorial at 33 Shades of Green.
Rustic Birch Trellis Ladder
Whether you’d like to use this homey ladder as a trellis or as seasonal decor, it's a lovely addition to your porch or patio. Craft it from small limbs foraged from your yard.
Get the tutorial at Ashbee Design.
Arricca Elin SanSone is a freelance writer, editor, and digital content developer. She specializes in lifestyle and interior design content with a focus on gardening. Arricca earned dual bachelor’s degrees summa cum laude in English and classics from Hiram College, as well as an MBA cum laude from Georgia Southern University. Before writing full-time, Arricca studied in Rome, traveled in Europe, and taught school in Asia. With over a decade of experience, Arricca has pitched, researched, and crafted fresh story ideas and content to appeal to national audiences. She has written thousands of articles for print and digital publications such as Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, House Beautiful, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
Chris is the Senior Food & Garden Editor at Country Living, where he covers all things edible or growable. He has two kids and lives in Birmingham, AL.
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