While strolling through a large garden, you may find yourself pausing at a small bench beneath a roof of vines or flowers before you continue on your way. If it’s a hot day, the shade provided may feel luxurious. You’re standing beneath an arbor, which can be any length (so you may be walking under that arbor for a while). An arbor, or pergola, can be connected to a gazebo and may have trellises on the sides.
You may also have seen a trellis or arbor set up at a wedding–probably white, and covered in roses. The romance of a trellis or arbor is not something many people can resist. Plants that have been growing over an arbor for a long while can give the illusion that they’re supported by nothing–and that you’re walking through a tunnel into some unknown land.
It’s in these types of gardens that the imagination runs wild, but trellises and arbors aren’t just for large, public gardens. You can get your own, perfectly suited for the size of your yard, or even a small one to lean up against the side of the house.
You may even use a trellis in your vegetable garden. Trellises don’t have to be huge, ornate decorative pieces–they can be as simple as a few sticks holding up a tomato plant, or a plastic cucumber cage.
We’ve scoured the internet in search of some of the best examples of arbors and trellises of all styles–some grand, some modest. We hope you’ll be inspired by this collection!
1. Vegetable Garden
A series of stakes and trellises behind each plant can help the plants grow straight. After the plants get large enough, the wooden trellis can take over and the metal cages can be removed.
Source: Arboretum Nature Notes / WordPress
2. Curved Arbor Over Flagstone Path
A residential arbor with trellis sides beneath a shady tree on the side of the home. A flagstone path through the grass leads through the arbor.
Source: Bachman’s Landscaping
3. Wrought Iron Dome Arbor
A stately, grand arbor of wrought iron. The stone plaza in the center has pathways leading out four ways, under smaller arbors. Small benches are in each corner.
Source: Couture Design Associates, INC.
4. Gourd Tunnel
A metal arbor with gourds and other vegetables trained around it. The ripening gourds create a unique look and an easy way to harvest. Just watch for falling gourds!
Source: Fine Craft Guild
5. Simple Wooden Arbor
A simple unfinished oak arbor with vines snaking up the posts and across the top of the arbor. In the foreground is a large fountain.
6. Half-Circle Wrought Iron Trellis
A trellis with inset coves perfect for a bench or for displays. The roses trail around it, creating a fragrant haven.
7. Garden of Eden Trellis in Lucas, Kansas
A garden in Kansas named “The Garden of Eden” with a stone arbor depicting the Biblical Adam and Eve. The vines are so old that in the fall they look skeletal.
Source: Loel Barr / WordPress
8. Tomato and Cucumber Trellises and Cages
A simple tomato or cucumber trellis made out of sturdy plastic is a perfect addition to a vegetable garden that needs to be kept in a smaller yard.
Source: Pathway Gardening
9. Lush Green Arbor Hideaway
Vines that have been growing in an already shady arbor create an interesting sense of peaceful isolation. A round entryway wrapped in vines is like a portal to fairyland.
10. Simple Iron Trellis
A wrought iron trellis arching above your pathway is an elegant, yet simple statement. Iron trellises are better for shady, cool areas because they can heat up quickly in the sun and stunt the growth of your vines.
11. Rustic Wooden Arbor
An arbor by the side of a trail made out of logs and branches. The simple structure gives this lush garden a rustic, old-fashioned air.
12. Casual Wooden Rose Trellis
A simply constructed, unfinished trellis is constructed above a stone pathway. Tall rosebushes cling to the sides of the trellis.
13. White Leaning Trellis
For homes without a large yard or for gardeners who don’t have a lot of time to construct or care for a large trellis or arbor, a simple wooden trellis leaning up against the siding can allow your prized roses to make more of a statement to the neighbors.
14. White Trellis and Arbor with Bench
Not all arbors are covered in plants. This white arbor has two shepherd’s crooks on either side that hold hanging baskets. Breezy, brightly colored fabrics behind the bench add additional color and personality to this garden retreat.
15. Aged Wooden Arbor with Bench and Flagstone Path
An aging unfinished wooden trellis with leggy roses twisting up the archway. A small bench sits beside the flagstone path.
16. Arbor with Roof Garden
A unique arbor with a planting bed on the roof full of moss and other ground covers. The shady arbor is a perfect spot for lunch.
17. Trellis-Front Garden Cottage
A small garden cottage with trellises on the front that give the structure an overgrown, natural atmosphere. Rusted tools, like shovels, hang from the trellis as well.
18. Trellis Dividers
For large backyard gardens, a trellis can be positioned to divide the garden into intimate spaces. An arbor running along the pathway adds height to the garden without adding more shade.
19. Trellis Gateway
A trellis fence with an arched gateway separates two sections of a garden without interrupting the flow of the planting beds.
20. Curved Trellis Arbor
While this arbor doesn’t cover a path, it does follow the curve of this paved path in a public garden. Beautiful white tulips run alongside as well, and are complemented by the white arbor.
21. Spiral Trellis Tunnel
A carefully sculpted spiral tunnel with tiny yellow flowers supported by a trellis. The bold color is stunning.
22. Shaded Arbor with Bench
A cube arbor covered in thick vines that create a dappled shady resting spot in the midst of this large garden.
23. Arbor with Trellis Supports
A more modern-looking arbor along an expansive private garden with very contemporary seating. The glass roof is supported by a series of trellises, with delicate vines trailing up the sides and around the base of the roof.
24. Trellis Vase
A simple but elegant variation on a trellis for a smaller residential garden. As they grow, the vines will spill over the sides of the vase.
Source: Terra Trellis
25. DIY A-Frame Trellis
Another simple trellis constructed of bamboo in a simple A-frame. Easy to build and install in any garden for a simple, attractive look.
