How to Build a Trellis Wall

A Garden Design Element at Havenwood

After: View from the street of our Trellis Wall in the snow at the top of the Birch Walk

Welcome to the making of the Trellis Wall!

The Trellis Wall is a large structure for climbing plants that sits on the eastern side of our home at Havenwood that divides the Hot Border from the Birch Walk. I have been envisioning this extra large trellis for a decade, and it has finally come together in the past month. So I thought that this would be a great time to take a look back and see where we started…

Before photos, December 2013:

Before: View from the street (same as the top photo) when there was just grass here in 2013.

Before: View out the eastern windows to the lawn at this same time of year in 2013. I am already planning the design, and you can see the tall post for the Trellis Wall location on the right.

After photos, December 2024:

After: View out the east windows to the Hot Border and the now complete Trellis Wall

After: View from the back deck of the Hot Border, Trellis Wall, and doorway into the Birch Walk.

Read on for more about what inspired me to build such a structure, some construction details, and how to adapt this design idea for your own garden…

Inspiration from Great Dixter