Cottage Garden Trellis designs

Trellis structures in a cottage garden setting can be ever so striking. There are so many wonderful climbers to choose from too. I have wanted to put a trellis (or two) on our garage and/or front or side of our home for years, but my DH is worried about ruining the siding; so needless to say, we don't have one yet!

I would love to see photos and hear about your trellis designs and/or plans (pergolas & arbors too), along with what you have or are planning to grow on them.

let's start with a definition of a trellis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trellis_%28agriculture%29
this site is what inspired my dreams of installing one :)
http://www.westvalleyrose.org/roseinfo/climbersinthelandscape.html

OMG, that second link.... I'm not sure if I'm more inspired or impressed or depressed! But there are some great ideas there. I would like to mix my vines as she did on that link.

Last week DH and I went to Costco and got this thing... I'm never sure what to call them. A pergola? A 4 sided trellis? Not much more than a couple of chairs would fit inside of it, it's much more for vines and stuff. I haven't had a chance to put it together yet, but have already been shopping for vines/ climbing roses/ passion flowers to put on it.

I've also ended up with a number of structures to grow vines near my porch - one "shabby chic" white one for a Blue Light clematis, a much taller iron one for a Nelly Moser clematis and this awful bamboo thing 'for now' at another corner for yet another clematis. I'm becoming a vine freak, I'm afraid. I'm also afraid that I had better get on consistent type of trellis or look pretty shabby un-chic....

I love the way the vine winds around your post in the picture.

Wow. Now there's a good example of what to use for your vines . . .

LOL! PC You have a way with words! I think I might be inspired, though...You got a pic of the Costco arbor? Or a link? I need one of those, too.

Diana, did you see the pic on the 2nd link where she has whitewashed T-shaped thing with the farmfence stapled to the top? You & I could do that and we wouldn't need any holes in the house! I am pretty sure the posts need to be sunk in the ground, but I can rent a post hole digger (with a gasoline motor) for only $15.00 for 2 hours.

It's the pic below this text:
Rosa Abraham Darby at right. I raise him as a short climber. Tucked within the Abes s clematis General Sikorski just starting to bloom. At middle below is rosa 07/04, still a baby and at left is clematis Woill Godwin. Farthest left is rosa Simplicity (pink).

I think the actual trellis part is fencing that just comes in a roll and a roll is less than $10.00, I think. About 10 feet by 4 feet, I think, maybe longer than 10 feet.

I might have more to say after i look at all the pic, text, links and the real definition. I was just excited to see that Tshaped thing.

edited because I read down to see it was the plastic coated fencing. Also to add that Mr. Clean would have a heart attack if he saw the front of that house...I love it; he'd hate it.

Suzy

This message was edited May 8, 2008 1:15 AM

Essentially what I am planning on doing (will take a pic when it is done) is getting bird netting and either attach it to wood or PVSC pipe, or just take it from the eaves and garden staple it into the ground for my clematis....simple, cheap and easy...

sounds nice Fairy, esp. the 'simple, cheap and easy part' :) please do show us a photo when your finished! speaking of clematis our nellie moser (I think it's nellie m.) just started blooming today; it is climbing on a portion of our chain link fence.

Suzy, I forgot about the T-shaped free-standing trellis in that photo! I think I would like to try that too. I did two super simple free-standing, sort of make-shift trellis', for our trumpet vine but not nearly as nice as that. I just took an arched metal frame (approx 2-3' x 4') for climbers and stuck a 4' metal post down the middle to support it and called it finished! I have to admit it didn't look very nice at first but now the vine is covering it completely. I originally wanted the trumpet vine to climb into our Holly tree and cascade out next to our hummer garden, but it couldn't twine in that tree, so I rigged up the make-shift trellis' in front of the tree.

Pagancat, I'd love to see what you bought at Costco too :)

some of you may have seen this already, I've posted it once before
this is another dream photo I have saved of a pergola I would love to have my DH make..."when I retire", he promised

ooo pretty!!! In 2 years we are putting a new deck, we are getting the one that lowe's has in their adds-the 3 leafs made from trek decking-and I am putting a pregola over the back of it against the house....a nice wooden one-maybe made of the trek decking too...and then clematis galore to climp up it-hehehehe

Wow, that vine looks like an evergreen with snowfall on it. Wow.

Unfortunately, Costco doesn't have it on line (I tried to order it but drove back in to Nashville to get it when I couldn't find it). I don't usually make purchases like that - decorative but not really functional - but DH bought a note on a new boat, so - hmmph.

As Wrightie says, "Mama needed a trellis."

Now to get the sailor to help me put it up....

Here is a homemmade trellis from England -- I always wondered how they got the stakes to stay put. See the horizontal bar?, It was always covered up in the photos I saw, which were of plants in full bloom, so you just got the hint of what the trellis looked like. Now, though, I am wondering how they get the stakes in all at the perfectly same angle.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4925920

I have seen those used before for beans...

We found this in Venice --think there is a trellis behind it?

This is full of blooms now. A blacksmith in Saluda NC had it leaning against the wall and didn't mind parting with it!

OOO-I want!!

Not sure you can expand this enough - but here is the trellis full length - no blooms. We also use that cedar support holding up the porch for vines. The shredding bark of the cedar so far have supported the vines. But, as it peels away, I think I will have to pull some wire around it to take the bark's place.

Is that white vine a climbing hydranga vine? It is lovely.

this has confederate jasmine growing up on both sides to honor a dear friend who passed away from lung cancer. He was a loyal southern boy and loved to research the cival war. He collected anything from the confederate army.

that didn't load right here is another angle.

wind, here is something from Kinsman Co. that you might be interested in, 2/$5.95. You could put these up with some sort of strong netting.

"Strong, stainless steel hooks hold wreaths, wall baskets and signs without making holes in your vinyl.

Hooks hold up to 12 lbs. per hook. Easily removable. No tools required. Two hooks in each pack - hold a 24 lb. wall/window basket. Just use more hooks for heavier baskets!"

Missingrosie, please let me know if you ever run into that blacksmith again. I *really* like that trellis. I'd be tempted to leave it un-planted .... which is quite something, for me!

I LOVE the kinsman co-so many neat things!! I didn't see those hooks though-but since I am ordering something for my MIL for her Bday this mo., I will have to get some of those for meeeee....

Fairy - you are so funny. My way of shopping......
One for you and twoooooo for me!! I tell myself it is because it makes sense with the shipping and handling costs...."might as well get it now while I am getting this gift for someone else."

Pagan - it has been a while since we've been to Saluda (a great little town near Asheville) but maybe this summer we will go and if the blacksmith is still in his shop, I will get a card and post the info and Dmail you. He is located around the bend from a favorite breakfast restaurant (all homemade breads and buns and really really inexpensive). Saluda has an annual coon dog festival - (I know ..sounds dumb) and we really like to visit every now and again. And you are right, that trellis becomes a really attractive 'art' piece when the clematis are sleeping. We were very lucky to have stumbled upon it when we did.

That would be really cool - I would so appreciate it!

Coon Dog festival - that's nothing. My town is winding up the "Poke Sallet" Festival. It's a 3 day garage sale IMO, the highlight being outhouse races down the main street. The star of this festival is poke weed, picked young and tender, with hot bacon grease poured over it. Mmm. And the "sallet" part is (from what I can guess) the hooked-on-phonics form of "salad".

Oh - BTW, poke weed is poisonous if you don't cook it. That's the downside >choke< ...

The outhouse race...
does one pick it up and run with it?

or is it pulled along?....and if so, by what?

I think you sit in the inside on your throne and read the paper while somebody pulls you along. ROTF!

But I love COON DOGS!!!

I like corn dogs-does that count!!LOL

I think we would all like the name of the blacksmith!!

Yeah we sure do miss Rosie she was a great dog and pal. Photos don't seem to do it............

The funny thing about that blacksmith that I recall was that he was working on these tables with handmade tile tops and although sounds like it should be great --the tile wasn't attractive.. and he made his living off of hooks, toilet paper holders etc. and they were nice...but the trellis was just something he was 'messing' with and I really liked the twig effect. He didn't seem impressed with it (lucky for me). Speaking of the toilet paper holders --- I like to collect the handblown glass balls --and hang them in the doorways. I never could find anything to hold them that was attractive and I needed a longish rod that would extend out from near the top of the doorway (above the head so no crashing). I found a squirrel feeder and have used that and that worked well... Then I saw the toilet paper holders and they work great!! Shaped like an "L", I put the short side against the doorway frame and the long side goes out and above the head and the balls hang from fishing line from there and it works out great. The short end (ends) with a leaf that is hammered out of the iron, so it is decorative. If I had a wider doorway --could get the towel holder.

This message was edited May 11, 2008 10:56 AM

That sounds like a nice idea!

some photos of the toilet paper holder (now ornament holder) and the squirrel feeder (ditto)

another view

the squirrel feeder - scuse the mess - we are packing on the couch.

opps...

The squirrel feeder not so jumbled usually - was cleaning up from Christmas and hung some of those extra pieces to keep them safe .....forgot about them until I just saw them! HA! Now if I could just find all the other stuff I misplaced!

Don't take this wrong, but your balls are also gorgeous.

Thanks. Unusual colors don't you think? (smile)(snort)

ExZactlee!

Wind, to keep the vines away from the house or siding, we cut PVC pipes into small pieces, (like maybe 4" or 6 " long), and used them as a spacer to keep the trellis from touching the house. That allows you to get your fingers behind the trellis as well as keeps the plant from staining walls. You could even paint behind there if needed

It seems like we drilled screws that were longer than the thickness of the trelles and the PVC pipes into the house so that we could remove it easily if needed.

I can ask my Dad to be sure if you need add'l info.

missing - those are so cool! Great job!

thanks ;0) was happy to find something besides the squirrel feeder to do the job.

Susie, here's the arbor (or whatever) - DH and I put it together in about an hour this afternoon.

It's a little fancier than my usual style, but I'll be happy with it once it's covered in vines anyway!

OOO-I LOVE THAT-so cottagy!! Where did you get it??? I want one now!!LOL