When you think of a trellis, your first instinct may be to picture a small-width, tall board with flowers. Well, you’re on the right path, but they are so much more than that. They also come in more than one design!
Paint them, pair them with other garden features, and use them on top of fences to increase the height – there are plenty of unique garden trellis ideas to explore, which is exactly what we’ve done in this guide. Here you’ll find some well-known and not-so-familiar designs showing you the freedom you have when using a trellis in your garden.
Table of contents
- Garden trellis ideas for privacy
- Garden fence trellis ideas
- Garden arch trellis ideas
- Fruit and vegetable garden trellis ideas
- Creative garden trellis ideas
- What is the best material for a trellis?
Garden trellis ideas for privacy
It’s nice to enjoy relaxing or gardening in your own outdoor space. Well, unless you don’t have a fence. For some, this can feel like an invasion of privacy. So, what can a trellis do?
Put up a beautiful trellis fence
A trellis fence is a brilliant way to add privacy to the garden without opting for a chunky wall installation. Better yet, you can add plants and flowers for a personal touch and extra privacy, as they will fill the spaces in the trellis panels.
If you already have a fence, you could extend the top of it by using trellis panels. Again, you can grow plants on it or leave it bare for a traditional country-style border.
Outdoor shower? Fit a partition trellis
Sometimes an outdoor shower can feel a bit cramped if surrounded by four blank walls. On the other hand, you may feel a bit overexposed without anything there. What’s there to do? Well, a trellis can act as a partition when two are paired together. This creates an L shape against the property. Perfect if your rear garden faces a beautiful forest or wood area.
Use a trellis to hide a shed
Want your shed to blend in with the garden aesthetics? You’re in luck! Fit a trellis panel to the sides of the shed and/or the door. From there, you can attach a climbing plant to grow around the shed or even attach hanging plants to beautify the trellis and add more privacy to the shed.
Garden fence trellis ideas
An existing garden fence doesn’t have to be bare. In fact, you can do so much more with it when you decide to fit a trellis. From creating a new plant space to just decorating for the fun of it – there’s plenty of choice.
Add height to your fence with trellis panels
As we’ve mentioned, an existing fence can have trellis panels fitted on top of it to increase height and privacy. It also enhances the plain fence appearance by positively contrasting with the simple design.
Spice up your plain garden fence with a trellis panel
Trellis panels don’t just have to go on the top of the fence or be the fence itself – they can fit on the front of them too! It can enrich the design and allow you to place climbing or small hanging pot plants for a more enticing appearance.
If you’re concerned about design limitations, don’t be! You could create many unique fence designs by working with DIY garden trellis ideas. For example, there have been designs that resemble anything from honeycomb patterns to large diamonds and so much more.
Garden arch trellis ideas
If you’ve got a path in the garden, an arch can be a beautiful way to separate one space from another. They can also serve as an entrance into the garden. Yet these arches can be quite complicated to build and less cost-effective in some cases. That’s where the trellis comes in.
Fruit and vegetable garden trellis ideas
How do you use a trellis for gardening? Well, in a lot of ways. Here are ideas for what you can do with a gardening trellis.
Fruit trees aplenty with a tall trellis
Never mind a partridge, you’ve got apples, pears and other fruit trees to grow! Remember how a trellis can benefit you for privacy? Well, with fruit trees, you can guide-grow the trees in a row to create the ultimate gardening area, complete with big trees to add to the seclusion of your outdoor space.
Vegetables will benefit greatly from a trellis
A trellis is exceptionally important for vegetables that are part of a plant that likes to climb. Popular examples include runner beans and pea shoots, which may trail along the trellis as they grow.
If you’re a novice to the trellis and its use in growing vegetables, don’t worry. If you’ve ever spotted a small structure sitting on the top of a plant pot or sleeper, that’s most likely a trellis being used to help the veg grow in the right direction (usually upwards).
Creative garden trellis ideas
Creativity comes in many forms, and the ideas in this guide offer both creative and practical examples; it will all depend on what your project requirements are. Here are some extra ideas to get your creativity flowing.
Pesky climbing plant prevention trellis
Sometimes, climbing plants can find their way to the main area of our buildings. They can weave their way into the brickwork and cause all manner of issues. You can avoid this by applying a trellis in front of the brickwork, making it a surface for the climbing plants to grow without affecting the mortar.
A trellis can turn that plain old background into a beauty
A trellis with a splash of paint can add colour to any outdoor space. You can experiment with the design. Whether you want a standard panel or a shaped one for added interest, there are various ways to modify the trellis to suit your desired theme.
Alternatively, if you have a blank trellis, you can place tile inserts into the spaces for an even more impressive design. You’ll have to ensure it is fitted against a wall, so it’s not blown over by the wind and is easy to remove when the fence needs painting.
Adding accessories to the trellis
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to decorate your trellis is through accessories. One simple and effective example is hooks. With these handy accessories, you can easily hang plants, outdoor candles, sweet garden signs and even outdoor lights for a comfortable outdoor space.
One neat way to hang the candles is in colourful jars with handles or small lanterns for that vintage finish.
Just remove the panes of glass, ensuring you wear protective safety gloves and goggles to avoid any damage to yourself from the shards. Then hang it on a wall or rest it in any area you like with climbing plants and watch them thrive.
You can also decorate the new trellis with some paint or wood stain to really make it stand out.
What is the best material for a trellis?
The most common options for trellis materials are wood and metal. These materials offer extensive durability compared to other materials (like plastic) and are more suitable for use in the making of the trellis.
| Wood trellis | Metal trellis |
| •Fantastic natural look for any garden. •Common lightweight design. •Suitable for easy fixing to small buildings (e.g. sheds). •Cost-effective. •Wood will require treatment with preservation chemicals to safeguard against weather damage. •Less resistant to wind. •Typically requires a saw, sandpaper, hammer, screwdriver etc depending on your chosen wood type. | •Bold and modern design for a stand-out look. •Common heavy, sturdy design. •Steel tubes (if used) can be painted to protect against rust - no treatment is needed. •If not painted, the trellis can rust when exposed to water vapour. •Typically requires a pipe cutter and T-handle wrench to build. •Less cost-effective than wood. |
Despite the popularity of these two materials, plastic and even recycled trellis materials have made a step up in the industry.
| Plastic trellis | Recycled trellis |
| •Unique appearance compared to common metal and wood materials. •Lightweight design that’s easy to move. •Won’t rot like wood and won’t rust or corrode like metal. •Can be flimsy (depending on the plastic) so not typically suitable for long vine plants or heavy fruits. | •Can be made from one or multiple materials. •Fairly cheap or even free in some cases. |
A trellis isn’t the only way to spice up the outdoor space. We’ve also got plenty of garden furniture design ideas, and ideas for those with small gardens too, to help you create your ultimate space for leisure and relaxation. We’ve also got fascinating guides on how to make your garden wildlife-friendly – be sure to check out our Help & Advice guides to help you turn your outdoor area into the dream space.
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