A garden
trellis is a very easy thing to make, and it
will add a lovely touch to your garden.
Building a small
garden trellis
is one of the simplest home improvement projects
there is, so it’s ideal for DIY novices and
experts alike. You only need the most basic
carpentry skills, and a free afternoon or so.
Garden trellises can be freestanding, attached to
a wall, or you can have a series of trellises
along the sides of a garden arbor. In fact, if you
have an ambition of building your own garden
arbor, making a few small trellises to begin with
is a great way to practice and learn the necessary
skills. If you need a place to start, you’ll find
a great selection of trellis plans, designs and
instructions online at gardening and home
improvement sites, or from your local gardening
supplier or home hardware store.
Designing
your trellis
The simplest type of wooden latticework trellis
can almost be put together without the need for a
trellis plan, so long as you have a reasonable head
for geometry. You simply lay the small pieces of
timber or plywood in a criss cross pattern, fix them
in place with glue, then nail or screw them
together, and you have your trellis. The trellis
frame posts will need to extend down by a foot or
so, so you can literally plant the trellis in your
garden. The spacing of the lattice will depend on
the type of plant you’re planning to grow on it.
Delicate garden plants will need a tighter spacing
in the trellis, while larger bushier garden plants
need a wider spacing. There are lots of plant
species which are suitable to be grown on trellises,
including fragrant jasmine, bougainvillea, climbing
hydrangea, sweet pea and of course classic romantic
roses. Check with your local gardening supplier for
advice on choosing which plants to grow on your
trellis.
