Yes, building a diy vertical garden trellis can be simple, easy and inexpensive.
Often, we tend to complicate projects, when many times, less is more. By this I mean that a basic, minimalist planting structure can sometimes provide a more sophisticated and attractive design.
You can see a great example of this in the photo above. In fact, this modern garden planter is doing “double duty” by creating an attractive vertical garden while at the same time transforming a plain boring window into something interesting (while not blocking its view).
It’s a brilliant idea that could be used in a variety of situations – whether for privacy, style, functionality, etc..
72″ Cedar Ladder TrellisSupplies needed are minimal as well as inexpensive. To start, you would need one (or more) wood trellis frames like the one pictured on the left. They are often referred to cedar ladder trellises.
These can be purchased at virtually any home improvement store or nursery, and you can also build them yourself. They are usually priced at under $15-20 for a 6′ x 2′ ladder.
Some will already have a weather-resistant stain applied and you can simply attach and hang the trellis where you want it. You can also stain or paint them to match your home’s exterior, fence or wherever you choose to use it.
Next, you will want flower pots that you can hang on the trellis. Lightweight and durable containers work best, and of course you want ones that can hold up to outdoor weather.
Galvanized steel is rust resistant yet lightweight, not to mention that it is stylish without having an expensive price tag.
Ikea sells some galvanized steel pots that can be used indoors or outdoors. (You can get them through Amazon and have them shipped right to you). They are 4″ tall and 4 1/4″ in diameter, so they are the perfect size for holding plants without being too heavy (larger pots that hold more soil and bigger plants tend to add a lot more weight).
Heavy-Duty S-Hooks for Hanging Plants
Hooks are important for attaching your pots because they make your containers easy to move or detach if you need to remove them for watering, re-planting, etc.. S style hooks are designed specifically to handle heavier loads, and they are very versatile.
Again, you can usually find these at your local nursery or hardware store for cheap. This set, for example, costs about $7 for a 10-piece set.
Using hooks such as these is one of the best garden trellis ideas because it means your planting arrangement is not so permanent. Add more pots, take some away, re-position them, blah blah blah…
Alternatively, you can use metal buckets that already come with hooks. This way, you can avoid buying hooks or any other hardware.
These planters are already painted, which is convenient if you want a little color – but you don’t want to have to buy paint and do the work.
Of course the cost of your project will depend on how large you want you garden to be. That said, a small to medium vertical planter designed to go over a window (or just decorate a wall) can easily cost under $50.
$15 for a 6′ x 2′ Cedar Trellis
$18 for 2 sets of 3 galvanized flower pots (6 pots total)
$7 for 10 S-hooks
