Your Guide to Building Your Own Garden Trellis

If you’re looking for a way to grow plants and flowers in limited outdoor space, vertical gardens are the way to go. While many vertical garden solutions are complex and expensive, there are many you can set up yourself for a lower price point. One excellent option is to create your own trellis and hang potted plants in the empty spaces. Here we’ll go over how to accomplish this simple and rewarding DIY task.

Materials

Here’s what you’ll need for this project:

Lumber (1x1)
Circle saw
Exterior paint
Paint brush
Exterior polyurethane or other sealant
S hooks
Drill
3/4 inch wood screws
Plant containers with handles

How to Build

1. To begin, cut your lumber into 8 4-ft long pieces.

2. Paint and finish each piece of lumber with your choice of color or wood stain. Allow to try completely.

3. Arrange your lumber in a square shaped grid with a few inches overhanging on each side.

4. Add 3 S hooks to the horizontal boards. This will be much easier than adding them after everything is constructed.

5. With everything in place, screw together each piece of lumber where the pieces cross. Doing this from the back will give you a cleaner look.

6. Prepare your plant containers by adding drainage holes in the bottom (at least two each). You may also want to add a small layer of gravel to the bottom to assist with drainage.

7. If you have planters without handles attached, you can make your own with twine, macrame or the material of your choice. For an easy built-in handle option, opt for miniature metal buckets.

8. Add your plants to the containers either by potting them with soil or by simply placing the entire plastic nursery pot into the container. Keeping plants in their plastic pots makes it easier to swap them out for new ones when the seasons change.

9. Prop your trellis up against a wall or fence, leaving some room for the containers to hang.

10. Hang your containers on the S hooks and enjoy your beautiful and inexpensive vertical garden!

The wonderful thing about this project is that it leaves a lot of room for creative choice. You can pick the pots or containers you want and customize them. You can paint them the same color as your trellis frame or leave them unfinished for a rustic look. Regardless, you’ll be able to enjoy this simple DIY garden project no matter how little your outdoor space.