Stylish Supports for Plants

One of the most familiar, attractive, and practical structures for supporting plants on and around the deck, the trellis needs little introduction. Usually constructed of thin wood strips nailed together in an open-weave or lattice design, trellises display a fairly slender profile. They may be attached to a wall, stand alone on a sturdy base, or be used overhead as both a support for climbing vines and a sunshade. Trellises can also serve as privacy screens or simple, inexpensive fencing to camouflage a utilitarian sideyard or divert attention from an unsightly view.

Stylish Supports for Plants
This rustic arbor easily supports a tangle of vines, providing shade
as well as glimpses of a landscape.

Arbors, too, are usually constructed from wood and serve as plant supports. Unlike a trellis, though, an arbor is a freestanding garden structure with space beneath to walk, sit, or simply tend to shade-loving plants. An arbor covered with grapes or blackberries can be a welcome companion to a vegetable or flower garden and a delightful place to bring adults and children together to harvest fruit.

For more decorating ideas outside the home, see: