Trellis Gardening
A staple in the garden for centuries, trellises have evolved into a dynamic piece of architecture and support for the modern gardener. Today trellising consists of everything from simple wood lattices, to more complex metal designs, to planter trellising, and so many other options. Trellises can often seem like a daunting project with so many different options, so what exactly should you grow on your trellis? Let’s dive into a few different options for growing on your trellis.
Climbing Plants
A trellis’s absolute favorite type of plant is any variety of climbing plants. Trellising is specifically designed for plants that will rely on the support system they provide to grow upwards, filling out the lattice with greenery and terrific blooms during the warmer months of the year. When choosing plants to grow on your trellis keep this simple fact about trellises in mind, a plant that wants to grow upwards and wind its way up and across the trellis is the perfect match.
Before beginning your vertical garden, make sure that you have a solid trellising system which will hold up under the added weight of climbing foliage. Metal trellises are often the best way to have a long-standing support system for your climbing plants, though some wood trellising can work as a short-term investment. Secondly, make sure the trellis is firmly anchored into whatever location you will be growing your plants, falling trellising creates a hazard for everyone around your home and garden.
Make sure that you have a solid trellising system which will hold up under the added weight of climbing foliage
Ivy:
Ivy is a staple for home trellising, the long vine grows quickly and will provide a phenomenal green backdrop to any home or garden area. Though Ivy often spreads primarily on the ground, they are easily trained to grow up trellising and cover a wall. Make sure this plant is planted only in partial sunlight to full shade to promote the best growth up your trellising. With so many different types of Ivy to choose from, find the one that best fits the colors of your home or garden or even your experience as a garden.
Clematis:
Another perennial vine, Clematis provides an immediate dash of color to your garden with their gorgeous flowering blooms. They are also a trellises best friend, needing little coaching to crawl up the trellis and thrive in this vertical garden. Make sure these plants are planted in full to nearly full sunshine and water often to produce the best results. Need more details about clematis? Check out this planting clematis blog post.
Climbing Roses:
Climbing roses are among the most impressive of climbing plants, unlike our last two options which were slender vines, climbing roses have a solid structure. While these are a little more difficult to train on your trellis than a clematis, the results of a little more work can be stunning. Climbing roses come in a variety of different colors from a classic deep red rose color, to white, with almost every color in between. Make sure to choose a strong trellis to hold the weight of the climbing rose and remember to be a little patient as it takes anywhere from 3-5 years for the plant to reach full maturity.
Climbing Hydrangea:
Another climbing flower, the Hydrangea is a hardy plant that grows well despite the level of sunshine received as long as they are planted in good soil and well-watered. Like Climbing Roses, these plants take a little longer to train to climb up a trellis, but they naturally want to grow vertically so give them a little assistance and watch them add a phenomenal vertical element to your garden.
Honeysuckle:
Grown best in partial shade, the honeysuckle plant is the classic flowering vine for trellising. Noted for the numerous different colors that include, white, yellow, and even pink, honeysuckle is common among cottage garden architecture. Drawing in wildlife and especially bumblebees, the honeysuckle is a great addition to your garden trellising.
Final Thoughts
These 5 plants are phenomenal additions to any garden trellising. Also consider growing some ground lovers around the base of your trellis to add some more mass to the base of these taller plants. Finding combinations of plants that grow well together and provide a stunning contrast is another fun gardening project. Vines and climbing plants are the easiest plants to grow up your trellis. Remember that this list is far from a complete view of all the different plants that can be grown up a trellis, so if these don’t fit your space or your desires for the garden, consider doing a little more research on our blog to find some other trellising options.