Making A Trellis Is As Simple As 1-2-3

September 04, 1998|By Beverly Fortune, Knight-Ridder/Tribune.

Want to create a rustic cottage look that fits hand in glove with an informal yard of colorful flowers? An easy-to-build twig trellis could be your answer.

Earlier this summer, Hillenmeyer Nurseries in Lexington, Ky., offered classes on the ins and outs of creating a twig trellis.

"We used river birch branches that we pruned out of some of the trees in the nursery," said Jeff Blake, superintendent of trees and shrubs at the garden center, who taught one of the sessions. But almost any green, flexible branches will do.

He said it's best to start with an open mind rather than try to build a preconceived shape.

To build one, you'll need:

- Five or six branches about 1 inch in diameter and 4 to 5 feet long.

- A handful of twigs, each about the size of a pencil or smaller and 3 to 4 feet long.

- Green craft wire.

- Long-handled loppers and a pair of short-handled pruners.

- 1 1/2-inch-long panel board nails.

- 1 3/4-inch finishing nails.

Lay several long branches on the ground and look at their shape. Move them around until you get a shape that's pleasing. Add the cross pieces.

When you get it the way you want, nail the branches together, using the finishing nails for the bigger pieces, the panel board nails for smaller ones.

After the branches are nailed together, take the loppers and cut off the excess length at either end of the pieces.

The small twigs can be added as a finishing touch. These usually can be wired into place.

Stand up the trellis. Shake it slightly to make sure it's sturdy. If not, reinforce the joinings with more nails or wire.