How to Lace a Wall Trellis for Climbing Vines

To create a vine-covered wall, provide permanent support for twining/tendriled vines (clematis, passion flower) and tie clambering/thorny vines (roses, pyracantha). Here's how to create an 8-inch grid of crisscrossing wires suitable for most grabbing or twining vines.

What You Need

• #18 galvanized wire (dark color blends with surfaces)
• #12 screw hooks or hook eyes. Screw hooks are better—they hold wires 1 inch from the wall, giving vines room. For mortar/brick, drill with mortar bit, insert plastic screw holder, then screw in hook.

Instructions

1. Draw your grid. Measure and mark an area to be covered so width and height are multiples of 8 inches.

2. Wire the verticals. Space hooks in straight lines at 8-inch intervals across top and bottom. Attach wires vertically from top to bottom, pull taut, bend hooks closed with pliers.

3. Add the horizontals. Space hooks on left/right sides at 8-inch intervals. Position top hooks 8 inches below and toward exterior of top-row ends; bottom hooks 8 inches above and toward exterior of bottom-row ends. Attach wires, pull taut, bend hooks closed.