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In this blog post, I’ll walk you through the steps of building a simple and eye-catching vegetable trellis to add height and a little bit of wow-factor to your garden. These trellises are the most commented-upon features in my home garden.
August in Wisconsin is the peak of beauty in the vegetable garden. The plants are big and lush, bursting with growth and tumbling every which way.
My garden feels a bit like a living, breathing beast that’s going to take over my entire yard. It’s a jungle out there, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. There’s a special kind of magic that can be found in the chaos.
One of my favorite quotes from Growing Beautiful Food: A Gardener’s Guide to Cultivating Extraordinary Vegetables and Fruit explores a topic close to my heart – growing food not only to feed your body but to feed your soul as well.
“If you begin to imagine growing food as an art form, where you move beyond the supply and demand of feeding yourself and others and into the realm of aesthetics, then you begin to cultivate beauty as well. And beauty is a fundamental human need, as essential as breath.”
When the summer garden hits its peak I focus on soaking in the aesthetic beauty of my garden and embrace the extra joy it brings to my life. Every year I’m re-convinced that having a gorgeous vegetable garden is just as important as having a productive one.
Which brings me to the subject of vegetable trellises! Each season I try to pay close attention to which parts of my garden I feel drawn to visually, so I can make mental notes about especially striking flower combinations, stand out vegetable varieties, and anything else that elicits a feeling of happiness in my heart.
One element of my garden that’s consistently been a favorite are the “temporary” vegetable trellises I created on the fly one season to add more visual interest to the garden. I wanted something quick, easy, and inexpensive to start with while I work out my plans for future structures.
After some scheming and dreaming, I decided to try a livestock panel trellis. I love the height and artistry they’ve added to my garden so much that they become more permanent than temporary!
First, we’ll walk through the various options for trellises, then I’ll show you step by step how you can create one for your own garden, and then we’ll end by exploring the specific flowers and vegetables that thrive on trellises.
Options For Building a DIY Vegetable Trellis
THREE DIFFERENT OPTIONS
Here are three different styles of vegetable trellises that are simple and inexpensive to build.
Style #1: Arched Trellis
With this trellis design you can keep the livestock panel in one piece, there’s no need to cut it. You’ll simply bend it over into an arched position.
You can see in the above photo that each side of the trellis begins in a different garden bed. The arch is over the aisle between the beds forming an arbor you can walk under.
Some of the things I’ve grown on this trellis are:
Delicata squash on the left-hand side of the vegetable trellis and two tomatillo plants on the right side (purple and green).
You can also see the pink flower of a Mandevilla Vine and the green leaves of a Sweet Autumn Clematis. I have a tendency to overplant my trellises!
This year was also a crazy one! Love Vine is growing on the left and Purple Hyacinth Bean on the right. It eventually became so lush and overgrown I had to practically crawl underneath the trellis.
The Love Vine flowered too late in the season in my zone 5a/b garden, so I haven’t planted it again. The Hyacinth bean pushes out amazing purple flowers and I’ve planted it several seasons in a row.
And finally, one more year with Purple Hyacinth Bean (you can see it’s flowers reaching for the sky) and Sun Gold cherry tomatoes. It looks like there might be a Diva cucumber in there as well.
Style #2: Triangular Trellis
This is a great option if you need to cut the panel in half for transport. Again, I have one “foot” of each vegetable trellis in a garden bed so I can walk underneath it.
There’s less dead space under the trellis with this design because it has a slightly more compact footprint than the arch.
Some things I’ve grown on my triangular garden trellis over the years:
Two tomatillo plants on the left side (purple and green) and two Diva cucumber plants on the right side of the vegetable trellis. Both vegetables do well on this style trellis and I grow them often.
Sun Gold cherry tomatoes and Black-eyed Susan vine on are both enjoying their time on this trellis. I’ve tried growing Black-eyed Susan Vine twice and it’s not vigorous enough for me, so I’ve quit planting it.
Style #3: Flat Trellis
A flat trellis is another wonderful option if you’re not able to transport a full-sized livestock panel. The one in the above photo is installed in an 8′ long bed. I was able to cut a 16′ long livestock panel into two flat trellises.
Confirm the full length of the panel you find locally and then measure your garden beds to figure out how many vegetable trellises you’ll be able to get out of one panel.
My favorite vegetables and flowers to grow on a flat trellis are:
Peas! Did you know there are other options besides boring old green peas? My favorite variety is Golden Sweet Peas.
I experimented with Cucamelon vines one season and the young girls who live next door absolutely loved them. The plants produce a lot, so you should have a plan for them!
There are plenty more ideas for vegetable garden trellises using livestock panels on Pinterest. Just search the term “livestock panel trellis” and have fun browsing.
How to Build Your Vegetable Garden Trellis
Now it’s time to delve into how to “build” your trellis. But, don’t worry, it’s more like assembling, no building skills necessary.
DIRECTIONS:
Step 1: Purchase cattle panels at a farm supply store like Fleet Farm or Farm and Fleet. They should be about $30 each.
Important note: They’re very long, so if you don’t have a truck you might want to bring bolt cutters and cut them in half for transport or borrow a large vehicle from a friend or neighbor. Trellis styles #2 and #3 above are best for cut panels.
The panels look like this at the store. You might want to take a scouting trip to see what your options are and confirm the full measurements of the panels.
Step 2: You need a few more supplies in addition to the panel: posts, zip ties, and an optional post pounder.
For trellis styles #1 and #2 you’ll need four 3′ light duty u-posts for each trellis. They should cost around $2 each.
For trellis style #1 the u-posts won’t be strong or tall enough to hold it upright. You’ll need two heavy duty t-posts for each flat trellis.
They’re made in different heights, so make sure you get a height that is taller than your panel because you’ll be pounding the bottom of the post into the ground.
You’ll also need a bag of zip ties to secure the posts to the panel. I like the green ones!
The posts you purchase will need to be pounded into the ground. You can probably get away with using a hammer or a mallet for the small u-posts, but the bigger t-posts require a post pounder.
Note: I consider t-posts and a post pounder essential tools in my garden. I’ve has both in my garage for 18 years and use them all season long for all kinds of different projects. But, if you don’t want to buy either of these supplies choose style #1 or #2.
Step 3: Make any necessary cuts to your livestock panels if you haven’t already.
Step 4: Play around with positioning the trellis until you get it right where you want it. This is definitely a two-person job.
The light-duty u-post with trellis attached.
Step 5: Use a hammer, mallet, or post pounder to drive the posts into the ground. Attach the livestock panels to the posts using zip ties. You can also use metal wire if you’d like to cut down on your plastic use in the garden.
If you’re building style #1 you’ll simply bend the panel over to make an arch and secure the other end with two more posts and ties.
If you’re assembling the triangular vegetable trellis (#2) you’ll need to use zip ties or wire to bring the top of the triangle together.
The flat trellis can also be secured using zip ties. I use one in each of the four corners. Make sure they’re tight so the trellis doesn’t slip down the post.
That’s it! You’ve just added some eye-catching trellises to your garden. You’ll be the talk of the neighborhood.
Now you’re ready to plant.
Diva Cucumber
What to Plant on Your Garden Trellis
The best vegetables and flowers to grow on your garden trellises are naturally vining or very tall plants.
Most vines will come equipped with twining stems or tendrils that will assist them in climbing and holding on to the trellis. They’ll require very little assistance from you. The tall plants that aren’t vines will need some support and guidance to climb the trellis.
Vining Vegetables
Cucumbers: Diva, Lemon, Boothby’s Blonde
Peas: Golden Sweet, Sugar Ann
Pole Beans: Fortex
Winter squash: Delicata, Butternut, Honey Nut
Annual Vining Flowers:
The flowers on this list will need to be replanted every year if you live in a colder climate.
You can shop for interesting vining flowers at your local farmers markets and garden nurseries.
The striking flowers of Purple Hyacinth Bean
Vegetable plants that grow tall, but aren’t vines, will need some support from you to hold on to and climb the trellises.
Usually, this means tying some of the branches gently to the trellis to encourage them in certain directions, mostly up! These vegetables are still a great fit for garden trellises.
Tall Vegetable Plants
Tomatoes: Sun Gold
Tomatillos: Purple and Green
You can find all of the seed varieties in this list in one spot in my Amazon store here.
If you like the idea of creating a garden that feeds your body with abundant harvests and your soul with beauty and joy, then this vegetable trellis project is for you!
With a few dollars and an afternoon of work, you’ll instantly add height, visual interest, and an exciting new feature to your vegetable garden.
I’d love to hear what you grow on trellises in your garden. Share in the comments below..
Want to read more about creating beauty in your garden?
- Adding Beauty to Your Garden with Flowers
- How to Grow a Colorful Vegetable Garden
- A Tour of My July Garden
Save this article to your gardening board on Pinterest.
