Climbing roses are very popular among rose enthusiasts. Despite their name, climbing roses actually do not climb at all, but rather are trained to grow up a structure. A distinctive trellis is a great backdrop for your climbing rose plant and can add an architectural element to your garden.

Our unique trellis can be built by anyone with basic carpentry skills and uses materials readily available from your local home center. The height of the central post and the width of the horizontal arms coming out from opposite sides of the post can be adjusted to suit the scale of your garden setting. We found an old finial from a salvage yard to top off our fanciful trellis and we used “button-style” dowel caps to finish off the ends of the arms.

Since it is such a weather-resistant wood, cedar is a good choice for the central post of the trellis. The arms are hardwood dowels that come in standard lengths at your home center, hardware store, or lumber yard. Paint covers up any mismatch between the wood of the post, of the arms, and of the decorative details. The use of a drill press to make the holes for attaching the arms will ensure that they are perpendicular to the post, which otherwise would be a difficult feat using a hand-held drill.

Materials:

One 8’ 4”x4” post
17’ of 1” doweling, in lengths suitable for producing the set of arm lengths below (you might need more to account for scraps)
14 wooden button-style dowel caps
1 wooden finial
2 ½” finish nails
Double-ended screw
Wood glue and artist brush
Wood putty
Primer
Paint

Tools:

Miter saw
Drill press
1” Forstner drill bit
Tape measure
Level
Combination square
Pencil
Hammer
Nail set
Putty knife

Directions:

1. Using miter saw, cut post to length of 7’6”.

2. Using your combination square and tape measure, mark seven arm locations lengthwise on two opposite sides of post. Arms are located 6”, 13”, 20”, 27”, 34”, 41”and 48” from top, centered on post.

3. Using drill press & 1” Forstner drill bit, drill holes 1 ½” deep at each of 14 arm locations. Use level to ensure that post is flat on table of drill press (so that drilled holes will be exactly perpendicular to post face).

4. Cut doweling: four 11” lengths, four 13” lengths, four at 16”, two at 18”.

5. Glue and insert dowels into one side of post, smallest to largest and back to smallest again. Make sure that dowels are perpendicular to post.

6. Glue button style dowel caps on ends of dowels. Pre-drill a nail hole through each cap and into end of dowels. Secure each dowel cap with finish nail, using nail set to sink each nail.

7. Allow glue to dry thoroughly. Repeat steps 5-6 on other side of post.

8. To strengthen arms of trellis, pre-drill two nail holes on back side of trellis post into each dowel and secure arms with 2½” finish nails. Use nail set to sink nails.

9. Drill hole in center of post top and in bottom of finial. Insert double-ended screw into post and screw on finial.

10. Fill each nail hole with putty, allow to dry, and sand flush.

11. Prime and paint trellis.

Special Thanks:
Gary Christensen

Adapted from Gazebos and Trellises, Authentic Details for Design and Restoration by Peter J. Harrison