How to Build a DIY Trellis

Add dimension, color, and decoration to a blank space with a sturdy host for climbing plants.

A wall covered with climbing vines may benefit the fairy-tale suitor who scales it to reach his true love, but in the real world the twisting tendrils will wreak havoc on your house’s siding. Better that you create a buffer between the foliage and the facade with a garden trellis. Not only will it provide the plants with a more appropriate host, but it will also give you something better than a blank wall to look at when summer’s greenery fades. Here’s how to turn lattice fencing and 2x4s into such a three-panel focal point. Put it in place, and invite your garden to new heights. Just don’t extend the invitation to any Prince Charmings.