Never underestimate the value of trellises. They provide an excellent way to gain color and greenery in confined areas. They can be practical or pictorial; they will often be both.
Spray paint takes the chore out of maintaining them, and there are aluminum types that never need attention at all.
Sometimes you want your trellis to be as unobtrusive as possible with an emphasis on the vine.
Here, a frame painted the same color as the house supports a vine that gives summer shade to a southern picture window. In fall, the vine leases its foliage, and every ounce of winter sun penetrates indoors.
If you want to “get away from it all,” a vine-covered trellis gives all the privacy you could ask for and plenty of air circulation.
Unsightly objects can be screened from view without the loss of gardening space. In time, this trellis and vine will completely hide the rubbish can.
You may want to paint your trellis a contrasting color to that of the house. When the vines beside this doorway are dormant, an exciting design is etched against the house. No valuable ground space is lost with this doorway planting.
Designing Trellises
In designing trellises, keep them simple. Stars and crescents are challenging winter workshop assignments, but such “fanciness” frequently adds up to nothing but mediocrity.
Stick to squares and rectangles, perhaps a diamond now and then. See that the distance between the members is not too great for the vines to climb quickly. One-foot spacing is generally maximum. Check your lumber dealer for the most weather-resistant woods.
Water drip from a garage roof, and doors that must be opened wide prevent the use of shrubs, but place a trellis on either side of the garage, and the problem of barrenness is solved. The vines are planted beyond the drip line, and the doors can be fastened back without interference.
Before making or purchasing a trellis, be sure it is proportionately and in scale with the feature you propose to enhance.
See how the trellis at the left bears an excellent relationship to the chimney, while the trellis on the center chimney looks somewhat fragile and scarce.
The trellis at right provides a shelter for a garden bench, and the unit of the bench, trellis, and vent has become a garden feature. Imagination counted more than money here.
Installing your trellis is no problem. A low one like that shown for screening the rubbish may be screwed to a 2×4″ inch peg, tarred, and driven Into the ground.
Larger, free-standing trellises must be attached to 4×4″ inch posts. Construct the trellis in sections to fit between the posts.
Suppose you plan a trellis to go against a wood house. Please attach it to blocks so that air can circulate behind the vine.
A hinge at the bottom block and a hook-eye at the top enable you to drop the trellis for painting.
44659 by John R. Rebhan