GARDEN TRELLIS

Garden Trellis is a generic term used to describe any structure that is used to support plants or vegetables. A Garden trellis can be either horizontal, vertical, or diagonal in construction and can be made from a variety of wood, metal, stone or plastic materials. A more elaborate version of a Garden Trellis is called a pergola which are mostly wood structures rather than stone and as such are more affordable for the average person.

A quick search of the internet will show your basic Trellis Box planters which consits of a single wooden panel that ranges from 5-10 feet tall and costs about $50-$100 as well as much more elaborate structures large enough to place a table and chairs underneath and ranges into the thousands of dollars. There are a ton of different design ideas that one can come up with for a Garden Trellis, some of the most creative uses are listed below:

Turning a Garden Trellis into gates at the base of your driveway. This not only increases security and privacy but adds a beautiful look to ones property.
Wedding Arbors- the use of a structure such as this adds a beautiful touch to any outdoor wedding ceremony.
Sukkah Structures- Using a garden trellis instead of the traditional wooden frame adds a nice touch to the weeklong Jewish festival Sukkot.

These are just a small list of the creative options you can utilize a Garden Trellis for and the options are truly endless. The best suited plants for a Garden Trellis are morning glories, clematis, or honeysuckle. You can also use the structure for growing vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, pumpkins and others.

When trying to figure out what material you want to use ot build (or buy pre-built), you must consider what it is that you will be growing on it.
Light vines like clematis and honeysuckle can be supported by 2x2 inch boards lattice boards.
Vegetable plants such as tomatoes or cucumbers will need something more sturdy such as a 1x2 inch board that is then covered by wire mesh.
Heavier climbing plants like grapes or roses will require 2x4 inch boards.
The next important aspect is for longevity of the structure and in order to get the longest lifespan you will want to use pressure-treated wood. You should also try to use cedar, cypress, or redwood as they are rot and insect repellant and will last the longest. For best results, you will want to seal the wood every few years to further protect against rotting from water damage.