It wasn’t a gothic novel opening — the sky was overcast, windy, and stormy, but it was the middle of the day. More importantly, it was the last day my mature honeysuckle could remain on its loyal fan trellis.
After nearly a decade in the garden, a strong gust finally toppled that trellis and took the honeysuckle with it. The vine ended up draped across the perennial beds, still attached to the upper half of the damaged frame.
Trouble in paradise.
Finding a ready-made trellis that would suit a well-established plant proved harder than expected. Most options were either too small, too flimsy, or prohibitively expensive.
So we turned to a simpler solution: a trip to the local lumber yard. With about 20 feet of slightly cracked 5/4×6 deck board in short sections and a handful of screws, the replacement trellis project was a go.
This time we built for durability. Instead of narrow straps, the deck board was ripped into strips roughly 2 1/2″ wide so the trellis could withstand years of wind. I also convinced my husband to fasten the structure directly to the house using Tapcon screws. One end of the vertical posts was set into the ground about 12″ for extra stability; the other end was firmly anchored to the brick wall.
Horizontal crosspieces—cut to the same thickness as the verticals—were installed about 12″ apart, and the finished trellis stood roughly six feet tall.
Rather than spending more than $50 on a delicate store-bought trellis, we invested around $15 and a few hours of labor to build a sturdy, practical support.
It may lack ornamental curls and embellishments, but the new trellis will be entirely hidden by a lush honeysuckle canopy for years to come, and it’s not going anywhere in the next storm.
Now that’s what I call a good value.