When we first moved to our corner lot, it was surrounded by a rickety fence hosting a pretty, spring-blooming clematis. I liked the clematis, but the fence was on borrowed time. As traffic came down the hill and around the curve, drivers could see right into our yard. We wanted more privacy than the fence could give. A trellis would obscure drivers’ views, provide the vine with a better opportunity to climb, AND snaz up the garden with a bit of Architectural Detail. 🙂

After the fence demolition, C dug 2 precisely spaced foundation holes. Two 4 foot long pieces of 2×2 angle iron were drilled for lug bolts and painted with primer against rusting. Instead of setting wooden posts straight into the ground, the angle iron supports were concreted into the holes instead. The posts bolt onto the supports about 6 inches above soil level. This structure won’t collapse in a few years because the posts rot out!

A beam spans the posts with an extra overhang on either side. Two corner supports beef up stability & increase the load the trellis can carry. Rafters and purlins top the beam.

After that, the lattice was built & installed. The vine now has lots of opportunities to spread out, scramble & climb. The yard is not nearly as exposed. There’s a feeling of privacy without the claustrophobia of hiding behind a fortress. I like it.

I reckon the Clematis montana likes it, too. The roots nestle into the moist soil on the north side of the trellis, yet the vine basks in the sunshine.

Hooray for the carpenter! Happy plants – happy gardener.

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