Trellises add charm to the garden

Sunset, Spring-Summer, 1996

Blank garden walls cry out for lush green vines and colorful climbers to soften stark lines. The easiest and most attractive way to support twining and vining plants is with one of the new handcrafted trellises that are available by mail. Catalogs carry an impressive array - in materials from hand-forged metal to woven wood - that are as much a focal point for the garden as a support for plants.

The trellises are extremely simple to use. Most come ready to install: just push the feet into soil next to a wall or in a planter box, plant a vine near them, and wrap the stems around the supports (use plant ties when needed). A few need minor assembly, and two wooden ones without feet need to be anchored to a wall. For the names of trellis suppliers, see page 96.

Plant low-growing vines, such as dwarf sweet peas, black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata), or small clematis, on the short trellises, and any taller vines on the others. Rampant growers, such as wisteria, should be used only on a large redwood trellis, such as the one pictured on page 70.

WHIMSICAL TO CASUAL

Metal trellises such as those pictured above range from whimsical architectural shapes decorated with urns to traditional ones like the Josephine's fountain antique trellis, which was fashioned by an Arkansas blacksmith.

The Lisbon wall trellis is of uncoated copper tubing that weathers to a handsome verdigris.

The Josephine's fountain antique trellis is made of steel and has a hardened oil finish that has been covered with lacquer.

The wrought-iron trellis screen is finished in a dark green weather-resistant epoxy.

While the metal ones are generally more formal in appearance, woven wooden trellises bring a casual touch to the garden. Choose a look that's right for your surroundings.

For a cottage garden of colorful perennials that overflow their beds, consider an English vine trellis or a Palladian vine arch.

The reclaimed-redwood trellis shown at left is part of a modular system that brings a classic French tradition to the garden. As a freestanding trellis with posts, it can be used as a backdrop for roses and perennials. Without the posts, it can be anchored to a wall (use purchased wall brackets).