Vertical Gardening: Arch Walkway Trellises

This post answers my most asked question, “Where did you get your arch walkway trellises?” I’ll also give you a behind-the-scenes look at the arch walkway trellises: how they were installed, the exact dimensions, what has grown on them through the years, and what I would change if I could make them again. 

Arch Walkway Trellis Installation

I love vertical gardening. When I expanded my garden in 2020, I knew I wanted to incorporate a permanent vertical structure between the 6 raised beds. I worked with a local welder, Two Brothers Metal Works, to design a functional and beautiful trellis.

Dimensions:

Each of the 3 arch trellises is 4 feet (1.22m) wide and 75 inches (1.9m) tall, arching in the middle to 7 feet (2.13m) tall, with 3 feet (.91m) between the sides.

Support:

Each corner post extends 18″ (45cm) and is set in place with concrete. This makes them very stable.

If you want to be able to move them in the future, you might not want to fill them in with concrete, but they may need to be adjusted occasionally as some legs may sink.

Transporting:

The arch walkway trellises were built in a shop and then transported to my house. There was a temporary stabilizer between each side. This was cut off after installation.

Arch walkway trellises through the seasons

The permanent vertical space supplied by these trellises has been put to good use throughout the years since installation. Here’s some of what has grown on them:

Vertical vegetable gardening saves space, helps avoid pests and diseases, makes harvesting easier, and adds beauty to your garden. But which vegetables are best grown vertically?

What I love about the arch walkway trellises

Installing a walkway arch trellis in your garden can really transform it into something special. I love the look of these trellises from any angle.

• Permanent vertical growing space – so much of what I grow loves to climb; it makes garden planning easier because I have so many vertical options.
• The height is just right for most plants and makes harvesting easy.
• Walking through the tunnel with it covered with plants is pretty magical. It feels like a secret garden.

What I’d change

Overall, I am very happy with the arch walkway trellises. However, experience is the best teacher, and there are a couple of things I would change if I could do it again.

• Make them wider. Three feet isn’t quite wide enough, and sprawling plants can quickly overtake the middle.
• Powdercoat the steel so it doesn’t rust. The steel began to rust, and I treated it and then spray-painted the trellises, but a better option would have been to do this from the beginning.

If you’re interested in trying out a walkway arch trellis, this post has hopefully given you more insight into how it’s done!

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