A popular feature for homeowners and landscape designers, trellises are an architectural structure, usually made from an open framework or lattice of interwoven or intersecting pieces of wood, bamboo, or metal, normally made to support and display climbing plants, especially shrubs. There are many types of trellis for different places and different plants, but most commonly, they serve as support for climbing plants.
Even homeowners who have only a small backyard garden can still expand their property’s scope by going up, using a trellis to add majesty and scale to a home or garden area. A trellis may not provide enough support for some large and heavy vines, such as grapes or kiwi, but many other vines with interesting flowers, foliage, or berries will brighten your trellis and yard. When thinking about your landscape and the types of flowers and foliage you want to grow, it’s important to choose plants for the trellis that have the same water and light needs as the plants surrounding the structure.
Many climbing rose varieties require a trellis to reach their potential as garden plants. Some plants will climb and wrap themselves around a trellis without much artificial help being needed while others need training by passing the growing shoots through the trellis and/or tying them to the framework.
Annuals and Tender Perennials
When it comes to annuals and perennials, homeowners have several options. Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) offer charming flowers in a range of colors with a heavenly scent. They grow quickly, reaching up to 8 feet, once the weather warms in early spring, and they bloom for several months if you give them plenty of water and if the weather isn’t too hot. Black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) also grows well on a trellis in the sun or partial shade. It is grown as a perennial in many areas of the US, but as an annual in cooler climates. The vine climbs quickly and is noted for blossoms in different colors that last all summer.
Perennials
On a trellis in either full sun or partial shade, canary bird nasturtiums (Tropaeolum peregrinum) can grow quickly, providing you with cheerful canary-yellow flowers and spicy leaves for your salads. Garden nasturtiums, (T. majus) are related and just as useful. If your trellis gets only full sun, moonflower morning glories (Ipomoea alba) will thrive, and grow fast as an annual in other areas. Moonflowers have heart-shaped leaves and fragrant white flowers that bloom in the evening.
Deciduous Clematis
Even if they lose their leaves in the fall, the gorgeous 5- to 8-inch flowers of hybrid clematis (Clematis x jackmanii) more than makeup for the loss. The plant is a vigorous grower given five to six hours of full sun and can reach 6 to 10 feet at maturity. Purple blossoms come in great quantities in June or July, with scattered flowers until the fall. Because we at GreenPro specialize in landscape design, specifically outdoor living elements, we would be happy to work with you to figure out how to install your trellis, or how to dress your trellis up with the right climbing vines and flowers to emphasize the glamour and beauty of your home. Call us today!