18 Beautiful Trellis Ideas to Turn Your Yard into a Private Escape

Carve out a space in the garden by sectioning out gated walls and an overtop trellis. The open-air trellis will prevent the space from becoming too closed-in while still creating the cozy environment you were going for.

35 Trellis Ideas For Gorgeous Climbing Gardens

Here’s our favorite ways to turn your garden into a blooming oasis with a trellis.

Hallie Milstein is an Editorial Fellow for Southern Living covering food and culture. She has been published in Modern Luxury magazines, Our State Magazine, and Hudson Valley Magazine.

A Southern garden is a thing of beauty, especially when there’s a trellis or two involved. These landscaping stars are multi-purposed in our backyards depending on what type you use: They can help stabilize tall-growing plants and create uniquely whimsical sanctuaries right smack dab in the middle of the garden. When daydreaming about how a trellis can elevate your garden, keep in mind that creating the right look is a two step process. First you’ve got to get the infrastructure in place, and then it’s time to set the stage with the right blooms. While some are prime for towering tomato plants, other trellises are best-suited for climbing, flowering vines, like climbing hydrangea, wisteria, and sky-seeking roses.

From structural trellises that help your veggies and vines grow tall and proud, to flowered outdoor arches and arbors, we’ve collected our favorite ways to turn out a trellis in the garden. Add these excellent examples to your vision board and get ready for your garden to bloom.

Designate Rooms

Think of your garden as an open floor plan and use a trellis to section off radiant rooms. A trellis in bloom is a wonderful way to designate a space for dining or relaxing garden-side.

Pretty Patio

Frame your patio with a flourishing trellis. Relaxing outside has never been more serene.

Sweet And Seasonal

This trellis creates a space that’s ready for every season. In the warm weather months, it’s the perfect place to sit for a bit of shade by the pool, while in chilly temperatures, a fireplace under the trellis will warm you right up. This way, the outdoor hang-out is pretty and practical all year long.

Garden Party

Create an intimate or romantic outdoor dining area by using a thick plant cover on your overhead trellis. Hanging lights from it adds to the mood too.

Tiny Towers

Tall, free-standing trellises shaped like miniature lighthouses add interest, symmetry, and curb appeal to this home exterior. It’s a simple and elegant way to elevate your from yard’s landscaping to new heights.

Barrier Wreath

Erect a trellis as a barrier to separate a cozy area of relaxation. Keep it barren or add some life and soon, blooming climbing vines will be joining the party.

Criss-Cross

This criss-cross tomato trellis is just what the horticulturist called for to help your young saplings grow up healthy. We especially love this trellis because it is subtly interesting to the eye.

Welcome Wisteria

When debating what kind of plant to adorn your trellis, wisteria is always a good choice. You can’t go wrong with this gorgeous, vibrant bloom that loves to climb high.

Set The Mood

If your property is surrounded by a fence, a gorgeous trellis framing the gate is sure to be a warm welcome. This is the initial point of contact that guests will be met with when visiting, so a tremendous trellis is sure is sure to be a great first impression.

Rope In

This classic tomato trellis is all clean lines and simple squares. It’s a strong support system for a vertical growing plant and a wonderful addition to your veggie-forward garden.

Morning Glory

When supported by a handsome trellis, Morning Glory flowers will certainly be their most vivacious. When choosing what flowers to plant along your trellis, these ones are a glorious choice.

Cool Beans

Why limit your trellis’ potential to flowers and tomatoes when the wonderful world of legumes beckons. Tall-growing bean vines like this one will make for a stunning and fruitful feature in the garden.

Iron Down

The contrast of bright florals and stern, embellished iron is a sight for sore eyes. Choose your most peppy and lively floral for this promising pairing.

Build A Pyramid

A towering trellis is the trick to this garden stunner. An intriguing shape is an easy way to boost the interest factor of a necessary support system.

Box It In

This expanse of trellises is wide-sweeping and prepared for a spectacular summertime show. Soon, this space will be flush with columns of bright blooms.

Pop Of Color

The flowers sprouting from the trellis don’t need to be the only color in the equation. Painting your trellis a bold color is gorgeous and exciting alongside contrastingly bright florals.

Color Coordinate

If you’re set on your favorite floral to plant alongside your trellis, a splash of paint can go a long way in completing the visual. While a contrasting color will make an impression, a matching shade can be beautifully cohesive, too.

Frame Containers

Place striking planters underneath your trellis to accentuate any container garden. Having plants at the ground level, in containers, and up on a trellis creates a dynamic garden that flourishes at multiple levels.

A Rosy Resting Place

A trellis is just the thing to frame a garden-side resting place. This hanging bench is cozy and whimsical thanks to a tall trellis bursting with pink flowers.

Private Oasis

Carve out a space in the garden by sectioning out gated walls and an overtop trellis. The open-air trellis will prevent the space from becoming too closed-in while still creating the cozy environment you were going for.

Outdoor Shower

For those whose backyard includes a pool or a large garden to get your hands dirty in, an outdoor shower could be just the addition to make for easy, practical clean-up before heading inside the house. Cover the shower head with a bright trellis and blossoming florals to distract from the eye-sore nozzle.

Create A Pathway

Tired of guests striding right on through your greenery? Accentuate your pathway for framing it with a series of arched trellises. The wonderland this sequence of trellises creates is functional and appears out of a garden fantasy.

Take To New Heights

A robust and tall trellis is an excellent way to make florals stand out amid a surface-level garden. It allows blossoming flowers to stand tall and set themselves apart from their budding peers.

Tucked Away

Carve out a corner of your garden for relaxing and entertaining by using a large trellis to separate the space. Over time, flora will blossom across it to create the perfect garden getaway.

Rock Wall Trellis

If you have a stone wall or border in your garden, it’s time to think outside the box. That rock wall doesn’t need to be a boundary ending the garden, but can rather be an extension of it. Use your stone surface as a trellis, planting climbing vines to take hold.

Frame The Front Door

An eye-catching climber is just the thing to welcome guests into your home. beautiful bloom climbing up and around your front door is an easy and exciting way to heighten your curb value and exterior interest.

Full-Circle Trellis

A lovely climbing vine wrapping its way all around your home’s exterior features is aesthetically pleasing and visually satisfying. This greenery uses a brick wall as its very own trellis and makes its way prettily around white windows.

White And Green Everything

Stick to the classics and go for a white and green color scheme for your landscape. This color combo is always a winner and evokes timeless style that will be beautiful for many years to come.

Well-Groomed Trellis

This trellis with climbing greenery is so well-maintained that it resembles a hedge. Luckily, it requires far less maintenance that a needy hedge since because of the structural trellis foundation, and provides an opportunity for pretty outdoor light fixtures.

Mailbox Trellis

Your mailbox is a trellis waiting to happen, too. Let tall flowering vines climb up your mail box to impress passers-by and your favorite mail crew.

Green Gates

In this garden haven, floral bloom beautifully atop deep green fencing. This strategic paint color matches the flowers’ greenery, blending in seemlessly, and almost tricks the eye into believing that we’re seeing the tall stems rather than a fence.

A Trellis Between Houses

Show some neighborly love by building something beautiful that you can both enjoy. A trellis between homes makes even the most simple pathways magical.

Brick Trellis

Brick and leafy vines is a match made in garden heaven. Create your very own Eden by planting vines to embrace red brick walls in your garden.

Fenced-In Trellis

Start at the fence and let the flowers take it from there. Thanks to a trellis on the entryway fence, blooms will welcome guests and follow them as they head deeper into the garden.

Fountain-Side Sanctuary

A trellis is a wonderful excuse to spend more time outside in your garden admiring the view. Build a trellis with seating underneath in prime view of your garden’s main event, like a fountain, bird-feeder, or prized plant collection.

18 Beautiful Trellis Ideas to Turn Your Yard into a Private Escape

Jessica Bennett is an editor, writer, and former digital assistant home editor at BHG.

A trellis fence or screen is the perfect way to add a sense of privacy and structure to your backyard. Whether the design is made of wood or metal, a garden trellis creates a beautiful backdrop for outdoor living spaces. These trellis ideas, ranging from simple structures to elaborate designs, will help shape your patio or garden in style.

Small-Space Trellis Ideas

Especially in small yards, a sense of separation from the neighbors can be difficult to achieve. To help create a more intimate backyard atmosphere, close off your outdoor space with a trellis fence. Choose lattice panels with a tighter pattern and add climbing perennial vines for even more privacy.

Deck Trellis Design

Besides offering privacy, a trellis can help create a more clearly defined outdoor space. Surround your deck or patio with a trellis to separate it from the rest of your home’s exterior and make it feel like its own little world. This creates a more cohesive deck design and provides a visually appealing backdrop for a seating or dining area.

Modern-Style Trellis

Unexpected lattice patterns can put a contemporary spin on a classic trellis design. Here, a wood trellis with an abstract design tops a deck railing for an added decorative element in this calming outdoor space. If a simple trellis doesn’t offer enough privacy for you, consider also planting a hedge alongside your deck for a more secluded feeling.

Trellis Work Space

This long sectional trellis creates a useful zone for potting benches and garden prep work. The front of the trellis acts as a staging area for an assortment of potted flowering plants, while the screen keeps clutter and unsightly equipment out of view.

Garden Trellis Ideas

Even small gardens or yards can benefit from a well-placed trellis. Here, a trio of structures, including a small-grid trellis, a larger L-shape trellis for privacy, and a gated arbor, all fit in a side yard that’s only a few feet wide.

Garden Trellis Backdrop

Beyond providing privacy and creating a smooth transition from one outdoor space to another, trellises can also act as a background or support for plants. Colorful flowering vines or blooming shrubs are perfect for pairing with garden trellis designs. Here, the structure serves as a backdrop for shrub roses, turning a basic flower bed into a stunning focal point.

While a trellis will act as adequate support for most plants, you should always keep an eye on its stability as your plant grows larger. Heavier flowers (like dense wisteria) and some vegetables (like squash) may require additional support to ensure the trellis remains sturdy.

Decorative Trellis Gate

Set a stunning scene for visitors the moment they enter your garden. Here, a magnificent trellis and pergola combine with a gated fence to form the garden’s entrance. The grand structure is flanked by urn planters, offering an elegant introduction to the formal garden.

Gated Arbor and Trellis

Employ a trellis fence to create a private entrance to your garden or backyard. This white gate and arbor duo is set to the side of the home, allowing guests to bypass the front entry and head straight to the backyard. The structure provides virtually the same privacy and security as a fence but is far more charming, lending a country appeal.

Trellis Seating Area

Elevate a simple bench by using a beautiful garden trellis as a backdrop. Here, three overlapping lattice screens act as an impactful “wall” for this private seating area. The middle panel is topped with a gable for a playful architectural touch.

Open Trellis Design

With its wraparound form and projecting top, this trellis design lends privacy to a delightful and relaxing setting. The sense of shelter is unmistakable thanks to hedges and climbing vines, but—thanks to an L-shaped trellis layout—the space doesn’t feel too enclosed. A pair of cushioned chairs add to the vacation-like escape.

Modern Trellis Design

Traditional white or wooden trellis designs provide classic charm, but other materials work well, too. Here, a wire trellis fits with the modern look of this patio. The thin metal bars allow climbing vines to take center stage.

Patio Trellis Perimeter

Add distinction and structure to your backyard with a patio trellis. This screen wraps around the perimeter of the patio, adding an attractive curve and an architectural element to the space. It incorporates small window areas along the top so that views outward aren’t obstructed completely, which helps maintain an open feeling.

Curved Trellis Fence

A small side yard doesn’t have to serve only as a transition space. This narrow pathway becomes a destination unto itself, thanks to a pair of graceful trellises topped with curved rails and flanked by stout posts and finials. The curved tops help balance the latticework’s long, straight lines and make the trellises appear more significant, transforming a narrow side yard into a pretty vignette.

Trellis Fence Ideas

A trellis fence offers a more decorative way to divide your yard. Choose a design that complement’s your garden’s overall style. The swooping lines of the latticework fence and arbor seen here reflect the curves in the landscaping, furniture, and decorative stone balls.

Trellis Ideas for Decks

Adding a trellis to your deck is an easy way to create a private setting for conversation or relaxation. Here, a series of large-grid panels top the built-in benches wrapped around the edge of this spacious deck.

Trellis Screen Separation

Dividing your garden into zones can help create order within the design, and a trellis is a great way to do so. Above, a screen creates separation between a water garden and the rest of the yard, sectioning off the space while still allowing a breeze and sunlight to pass through.

Private Patio Trellis

Outdoor areas take on an instant charm when enclosed in an intimate way. This latticework trellis provides an appealing backdrop for a bistro table and chairs, also boasting a cutout “window” to help connect it with the surrounding landscape. Without the screening, the scene would seem too exposed and far less inviting.

Backyard Trellis Rooms

Use trellises to carve your landscape into separate areas, designating specific “outdoor rooms” for conversation, dining, play, and other outdoor activities your yard typically hosts. Vine-clad lattice fences are a natural option for the walls between rooms, while arbors and gates can serve as doors.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can buy a trellis in many different materials, though the best selection for your backyard depends on what type of weather you experience. For some areas, a wood trellis made of weather-resistant cedar will do just fine, while other areas may require a more durable material such as PVC.

Look to purchase a trellis from your local hardware store, garden center, or fencing specialist. The latter will likely have the largest selection of styles available to you, and can help answer any specific questions you may have regarding installation and care.