Replacing your fence and gate gives you the opportunity to really redesign what encloses your yard. Using a trellis or lattice as part of the redesigned fence gives you more options for installing plants and creating new features in your yard.
Have a Narrow Trellis or Lattice on Top of a Privacy Fence
One of the most common sites for a trellis or lattice is around the top of a regular fence. You have a solid privacy fence that’s topped by a narrow strip of trellis or lattice. It’s mainly decorative, but you can hang things from there if the items are light enough.
Have a Trellis or Lattice Gate
Your gate is one of the easiest places to install a lattice or trellis. These allow you to see in and out of the yard and allow more air to flow through; obviously, air can flow over the gate, and it’s outdoors. But low-to-the-ground plants that are right by the gate and fence may not get as much of that airflow going over the top edge of the gate, creating a pathogen-friendly microclimate. A lattice or trellis gate lets air flow through even the bottom portion of the gate, so there’s better airflow past the plants that are low to the ground.
Insert Sections With Trellises or Lattices Here and There
Sometimes it’s nice to have a change in what your fence looks like in certain areas. If you have a solid fence, consider adding trellised or latticed panels here and there to allow you to look out at the landscape. These obviously work best when you are surrounded by open land or another scenic part of your yard; don’t use these in the fence that separates you and your human neighbors. But use them, say, for the panels on either side of the gates leading into the yard.
Create a Living Wall
There’s nothing that says (assuming your HOA doesn’t have an opinion on this) that a fence can’t be all trellis or all lattice. Consider installing one of those and letting plants wind their way through the openings to form a living wall. These plants don’t need to be ivy or anything invasive; you have several choices. You can also use non-vining plants that you train to grow up the trellis/lattice wall.
Climbing Roses and a Trellis Arch
Are you trying to find a way to beautify the entrance to the greener portion of your yard? Do you want to divide it visually from the patio with more than just the edge of the patio’s concrete? Install an arch! A trellis or lattice arching over the entry to your yard allows you to add climing roses, vines, and any other climbing plant that can gracefully droop down over the heads of anyone walking underneath. It’s a neat way to beautify your yard and can make the space feel magical.
Use Trellises to Wall off an Outdoor Living Space
Smaller yards may benefit from being open to increase the sense of airiness and space. But larger yards can have smaller sections partitioned off to create dedicated spaces. You don’t want to fully wall them off; that would only make the spaces seem confined. Instead, use trellises or lattices to partially enclose the space, and let vining plants climb throughout the walls to provide further privacy. You can create a small outdoor living room this way, or create a meditation space.
If you’d like to see how trellises and lattices can help you make your yard more visually interesting, contact a company that does fence installation in Southampton, PA, and fencing in Lansdale, PA. Hilltop Farm & Fence can give you ideas and install the structures you decide you want. Your yard will look beautiful while also providing you with security and privacy.