Give your garden a lift with trellises

Trellises and arbours give the garden a lift, and give the gardener a beautiful structure on which to nurture roses, clematis or even Jack's beanstalk.

Clematis, Double Multi Blue

A thing of beauty should be cherished forever. Like the timeless beauty of the double clematis - some say this breathtaking perennial has been around since the days of Michelangelo and da Vinci! It's easy to see why - they like to climb on trellies or arbours and produce dark, enchanting blue-violet 2-1/2" blooms midsummer through fall.

Gardeners are always running out of space, and trellises and arbours (or pergolas) artfully add extra square feet for climbing and clambering plants. Flowering vines put a new dimension in a garden by bringing it up to eye level.

Various forms and interpretations of trellises have been at home in gardens for centuries. Elaborate trelliage, or trellis work, was a gardener's art by the 16th century when material like willow canes and sturdy shoots from nut trees were used. The same material can be used today to make trelliage of nearly any size or style.

In Renaissance gardens, trelliage was often inspired by classic architecture, and was built with great attention to detail. These grand structures still suggest ideas appropriate for modern gardens, but trellises need not be overbearing or formal. Depending on your style, rustic twig trellises, arbours made with cedar posts, and perfectly modern plant supports of gleaming copper or steel may be appropriate for your garden.

A GATEWAY OF FLOWERS

Trellises and other such supports for climbing plants can be used to define boundaries, to screen private seating areas, or to cast shade. An arbour, like a gateway of flowers and foliage, may mark a garden entrance, or frame a view across an expanse of lawn. Free-standing pergolas are usually large enough to shelter a table and chairs in the dappled light under a roof of greenery. The style you choose could echo details of your home's design, extending the architecture visually into the garden, or it might be something completely different, sending a subtle signal that the garden is a place apart.

The material you choose should suit the plants you intend to grow. For permanent plantings, such as wisteria, climbing hydrangea, grapes or trumpet vine, a sturdy structure with substantial posts and crosspieces is necessary. More delicate climbers can make their way up lightweight trellises, but remember that a trellis covered with plants must also withstand wind, so anchor it securely in the ground. One way to do this is to bolt the legs of a trellis or arbour to wooden posts sunk several feet into the ground.Source