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Simple Backyard Trellis
One of the best benefits of trelliswork is its ability to cover an unsightly wall in a blanket of green. Designer Sara Ruffin Costello uses the tactic beautifully in her New Orleans home, where a wire lattice hosts delicate vines. Combined with planters and even a small tree, this look is giving whole new meaning to urban jungle.
The Espaliered Fruit Trellis
One of the most classic tricks of an English garden is the use of a rustic brick wall to espalier a fruit tree: The branches are trained to grow flat, typically in a pattern, creating a visually arresting geometry on an otherwise plain surface. This method also makes the fruit easy to harvest.
Simple Trellis
A Trellis for Creepers
In this Florida vacation home by Robert A.M. Stern and interior designer Ellie Cullman, a low trellis for a creeping vine creates a barrier between deck and patio while enhancing the topography visible from inside the house. Bonus: Try growing grapes on a low trellis like this one.
Dining Oasis Trellis
Could there be anything more festive than a pool surrounded by palm trees? Yes, if you add a bougainvillea-covered arch! Here, fashion maven Liz Lange tapped her bestie Jonathan Adler to create the Palm Beach house of her dreams. She wanted “a surreal fantasy where nothing bad could ever happen,” Lange tells us. “And nobody gets that better than Jonathan.”
Rustic Trellis
There’s something delightfully chic about this slightly disheveled French country home (no coincidence, it’s just outside Versailles). But that’s precisely what its owner, the fashion designer Agnès b., loves. Here, the garden is mostly let to run wild, including the vines that cover the house and race up a rustic arbor above the entry.
A Trellis Calling from Inside the House
If you are so lucky to find yourself with an indoor, open-air courtyard, try mounting lattice or other creeper-friendly apparatuses in places that will allow vines to cascade, like in this plant-filled atrium at the center of Vik Muniz and Malu Barretto’s studio building in Salvador, Brazil, designed with architect Brenda Bello and landscape designer Alex Sá.
House-Enveloping Trellis
Like evolution, some gardening ideas are about the survival of the fittest. Look no further than Charles Darwin’s own English country bolthole, where latticework covers the house’s entire rear facade.
Pumpkin Trellis
Not all trellises are for blooming plants. You can also use these structures to help tame your vegetable patch. Here, the homeowner planted pumpkins, but the same tactic would work for squash and melons as well.
Pergola Trellis
Why not use a trellis to create a lush garden tunnel to stroll through? Here, the rose-covered structure not only looks pretty, but also provides shade while you’re taking care of some pesky weeds.
Grill Station Arbor
Outdoor kitchens are getting more tricked-out than ever, but we prefer a more natural approach. Here, a simple grill station is accessorized with planters, pottery, and a vine-covered arbor. What’s cookin’, good lookin’?
Door-Flanking Trellises
Want a warm welcome? Frame your door with twin trellises. This look is not only simple to execute, but also imbues your entry with a dash of English country charm. Top of the morning to you too!
Mobile Trellis
Always on the move? Or simply can’t make up your mind where to put your vegetable patch? Put your plant pals in a trellis-on-wheels, as shown in this clever greenhouse idea. Use it to move your plants when lighting conditions change or simply use it as a leafy patio partition.
Privacy Screen Trellis
In addition to covering unsightly walls, a trellis can be a chic alternative to a humdrum backyard fence. In this charming al fresco vignette, one covered in vines forms a verdant partition while blocking out curious eyes from outside.
Patio Trellis
«It was a sleeping beauty covered in vines,» Mona Nerenberg says of her Sag Harbor home. She leaned into the romantic look on her back patio, where a pergola covered in white wisteria gently drapes over a rustic dining table.
Combined Fountain Trellis
A trellis can be a style statement all on its own. Just ask London-based garden designer Butter Wakefield, who transformed this urban patio into a country-chic oasis. Here, a trellis adds visual interest to an otherwise hum-drum wall, thanks to finials, lighting, and an edgy black paint job. Bonus points for the elegant water feature.
Versailles Trellis
Nothing beats the real thing, which is why it’s worth examining André La Notré’s masterful 17th-century gardens at Versailles. The Enceladus Fountain is surrounded by am impressive tunnel of treillage. And while you might not have one of gardening history’s greats at your disposal, you can actually buy quite a convincing replica—for a pretty penny—from a U.K. dealer. Let them eat cake? We happily will beneath this beaut!
Go Barely There with a Stainless Steel Grid
As this garden designed by Janice Parker proves, opposites attract. “A clean, modern stainless steel trellis of cables looks beautiful on a rustic wall, as well as on a smooth surface planted with white climbing roses,” the landscape architect explains. Not only are thin stainless steel wires strong enough to support your growing flora, but they look almost invisible when paired with a textured wall. Just be careful about where you put the (ahem) petal to the metal. “We [don’t] put the trellis on the side of a painted wood surface of a house or a barn, as when it comes time to repaint the structure, it becomes very difficult,” Parker adds.
Create Contrast
If you want to make your trellis pop, consider affixing a thick wooden structure to your garage or barn. “A trellis is a timeless way to create architectural interest in a garden, as well as showcase a plethora of flowering vines,” designer Kristina Phillips explains. “They evoke a sort of romantic English garden feel—and can be kept clipped or left rambling.” Though the white roses here certainly speak for themselves, the bold lattice creates a country contrast as you wait for those flowers to bloom.
Make a Moment
You don’t need to have an opulent water fountain or pergola to elevate your garden’s design. Instead, let your trellis work overtime to deliver on form and function. “Nothing is better than an arched iron trellis over an urn planted with apricot campsis vines,” Janice Parker adds.
Anna Fixsen is the deputy digital editor of ELLE DECOR, where she oversees all facets of ELLEDECOR.com. In addition to editing articles and developing digital strategy, she writes about the world’s most beautiful homes, reviews the chicest products (from the best cocktail tables to cute but practical gifts), and reports on the most exciting trends in design and architecture. Since graduating from Columbia Journalism School, she’s spent the past decade as an editor at Architectural Digest, Metropolis, and Architectural Record and has written for outlets including the New York Times, Dwell, and more.
Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance lifestyle journalist, who covers shopping and deals for Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, and ELLE Decor, among others. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.
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