Trellis

A trellis is a framework structure made of interwoven or intersecting pieces of wood, metal, or other material, designed primarily to support climbing plants and create decorative screens or garden features. The use of trellises in gardens dates back to ancient Rome, where they were used to train grapevines and create shaded walkways known as "ambulationes." During the Renaissance, elaborate trellis work called treillage became a high art form in French formal gardens, with intricate lattice structures creating architectural illusions and garden rooms. Modern trellises serve multiple purposes in landscape and exterior design. They support climbing plants to create living walls of greenery and flowers, provide privacy screening between properties or outdoor zones, add vertical interest to blank walls and fences, and serve as decorative architectural elements in their own right. Trellises range from simple diamond or square lattice panels attached to a wall to elaborate freestanding structures with arched tops and decorative finials. The growing interest in vertical gardening and green walls has expanded the role of trellises in contemporary design, with modern interpretations including tensioned cable systems, metal grid panels, and modular planting frames.