I have a more "natural" look to my garden beds...... some might call it rustic, and yet others, junky. To each their own. I have used large curving limbs cut from my oak tree, and have also made other free standing trellises using cut saplings lashed together with grape vines. They make a bold structural element. The price was right, and I enjoy them. I also used 3 tall straight sticks sunk into pots and bound together at the top to form a rough cone shape to wind annual vines around. I have even added a hand blown art glass ball to the top as a finneal. These ideas might work for you too...
Julie

Sounds very nice. I was thinking of doing something with limbs. I like the "cone" idea. I think I could just do that out in the garden as well. Thanks for responding!
Susan

Great thread! I also traded for lots of vine seeds this year. This will be my first year trying any vines. Now I have so many different varieties I'm wondering what I'll have them climb on. I like the idea of the sticks- very natural. I saw on another site where someone made an entire mini-trellis out of sticks. It looked wonderful.

I also like the idea of the stick-teepee type thing. That would work great for a big pot. I think I might try that.

Here is a link that might be useful: My website

Be sure to check out the Garden Junk forum. There's tons of ideas there!

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Junk

Go the the website for the "FINE GARDENING " magazine.
"Build a rustic tuteur."
Did that this summer. easy to make.

Alot of my vines grow on my fence. Just string two horizontal rows of heavy wire, and attach the wire to metal "eyes" that you screw into the fence at every post (about 6 feet apart). Train the vines up a wooden stake, when they reach the wires, attach them with green stretchy plastic tape (found in any big box plant department).

I have done the "teepee" thing using a large strawberry pot, I stuck 6' long bamboo rods through the upper holes then tied them at the top.
I also have an old metal flagpole in the yard that I wrapped with green wire fencing. I hope that is sturdy enough for the trumpet vines.
Copper tubing is easy to use to build a trellis. Have you looked into that.

I too use my picket fence to run vines along. But my favorite if you like rustic, is driftwood. We live close to the Mississippi and I've found it to be a constant renewable FREE resource for any diameter you are looking for. You can use them to make the 'teepees' or make semi-permanent structures, whatever you're mind comes up with.
Another possibility if you have decent sized trees, is to let the annual vines grow up them or other woody type plants. Have seen clematis and climbing roses mixed together this way for a pretty effect.
Jo

Can you share how you use copper tubing to make a trellis please? If there are any picture tutorial sites even better as I do best following a sequenced picture pattern. Thanks!!!!
Jen

Hi,I use old wooden ladders and the vines seems to like it.

Sylvia

Twigs are a great source for trellis of lots of varying designs. I have recently been doing some really neat ones and if I can get a pic of them, will post them for you to see.

If you have access to bamboo you can also make use if it as teepee's and a few other designs. It will last a season or two at least and looks great.

Timothy

Howdy,

I use galvanized livestock fence panels. They are sold at McCoy's and farm equipment places. They are 16 feet long and 52 inches wide (or is it 48? can't remember) and made of 1/4" wire. They cost only $15 each. Don't fall apart like wooden ones and don't rust like some cheap metal ones. Very cost effective compared to paying $50+ for a fancy trellis that won't be seen once the vines start to cover it up.

I use bolt cutters to clip out long strips that are about 18 inches wide (I vary the widths) and 16 feet long. I then remove the bottom "rung" from each end (leaving prongs that are about 8 inches long)...and stick one end into the ground and 'arch' it over and stick the other end in.

Here are some photos of the livestock fence panels. "Heavenly Blue Morning Glories" covering an arch I made and another 4'x8' panel I stuck into the ground by my front walkway.

As you can see...they are pretty much covered completely by the vines. When blooming season is over I sometimes remove them and lay them flat in my garage or against my back fence or I swap out vines to keep constant coverage.

~ Cat

{{gwi:2784}}

{{gwi:2785}}{{gwi:2786}}

These are not free but I found them to last longer than anything else I tried. They are classified as teak furniture so they should last a long time before needing to tear down the vine to replace them. Look under accessories.

Here is a link that might be useful: teak furniture

I got lots of lattice for free last year from people that were throwing out the excess that they didn't need. I was able to make several trellises by just cutting to size and framing them out. I also got a roll of wire fencing similar to the livestock fence pictured earlier that someone was throwing out. I have also done the tepees with the six foot bamboo stakes. The only thing I paid for were the bamboo stakes and the whole package was less than $5.00.

Penny

I love using rebars. They are cheap, they blend in even when not covered by plant material (they are rusty looking which really blends in) And you can use them for plant supports, bend them, reuse them for many projects. I always have a supply of 10' lengths and 3' lengths I wire together with cheap baling wire which also rusts naturally. I use the short rebars as supports. I think a wired trellis design using rebars would be attractive even when vines are not on them. Here are a couple of pictures of rebars used for arbor and teepee.{{gwi:2787}}
{{gwi:2788}}
{{gwi:2789}}

I really like the rebar! Sure are a lot of uses for that rusy old stuff!!

I use ladders, but first I waterproof them and everything else wooden that I use in my yard. I also put waterproofing on my cement statues.

This is honeysuckle climbing up an old extension ladder that we cut in thirds. I also use old stepladders.

{{gwi:2790}}

~Sandy~

Wow! What timing. This winter I made a trellis out of old snow skis. I went to my local ski shop and ask for damaged or indemnified (SP)(skis that can no longer be serviced). I bought treated lumber for a frame and screwed the skis to the frame then set it in my garden. I am using my trellis for raspberries.

Bill

Oh for heavens sake, Bill! I never woulda thunk up skis!! What a great idea!

After all the snow we've had this winter, I sure hope DH can stand to see skis in the yard!

I know GW has them all the time!

~Sandy~

WOW, everyones ideas and pics are great!
I just ordered a really cool book from Amazon.com called "Making Bentwood Trellises, Arbors, Gates & Fences ". Lots of good info and instructions and less than $14.
I am going to try a few of these this spring, too! They had another book on copper trellis making, but I didn't buy that one, because I have an abundance of twigs and wild grapevine in my woods.

Linda

When Target sold I bought several of their V-shaped shelves,(wish I had a picture - the shelves had been attached to the wall, extended several inches and were 4-5 inches deep) placed two together to form a circle, painted and set in in the ground. It works well - my clematis went wild! I've also used it to support tomatoes. GA

paulinep, how did you shape the rebar arches? Thanks

I personally like copper in the garden. I make "trees" out of copper pipe and tubing (like those popular spiral Christmas trees covered with white lights) and let my vines and cukes and cantaloupes climb the spirals.

They weather very quickly, can be moved around in the spring, and are virtually indestructible.