How to Use Logs as Edging For Plants & Make a Wall Trellis

Kelly-n-Tony
by Kelly-n-Tony
9 Materials
$8
2 Hours
Easy

I decided I wanted to grow something on the back of the house. It was a boring wall really; it needed a trellis. And I wanted to border it in some way but didn't want to spend much, so I decided to use logs as edging.

Materials for the trellis

Materials for the trellis

The wall itself faced the sun each morning which seemed promising.

It had a wood board both left and right already attached so I decided if I strung wire there something that would vine upward would be great.


We purchased some eye screws and already had a wire from another project so we could buy something that would grow upward and outward to cover the space. We also purchased some wood stakes for the border.

Attaching eye screws to the wood

1. Attach eye screws to the wood

It was simple to attach the eye screws to the wood.

Running the wire from one side to the other

2. Run the wire

And run the wire from one side to the other.

Making rows of wire for the trellis

3. Make rows of wire

We made several rows of wire going up high hoping that whatever we planted would spread wide and high.

Trimming tree branches

4. Trim tree branches

Then we trimmed some tree branches we'd cut down so they were as straight as possible and fit the space.

Stacking and screwing the logs in place

5. Stack and screw the logs

We stacked them 2 high and screwed them together, as well as to the wood stakes for stability.

Adding landscaping fabric

6. Add landscaping fabric

We stapled the black landscaping fabric to the wood, tucked it along the back wall, and cut an X in the fabric to insert the plants with some good dirt for growth.

Pea gravel-type pebbles

7. Cover the landscaping fabric

We also got some pea gravel-type pebbles to cover up the landscaping fabric. Our neighborhood has a lot of feral cats and for some reason, they don't like the pea gravel which makes me happy.

Plants for the wall trellis

DIY log edging and wall trellis

We're hopeful the plants will grow quickly...

DIY log edging and wall trellis

Come on Spring!


Below I list all materials and tools we used for this project. We had many of the tools and materials already as most of you will too. I'd estimate we have perhaps $8 in materials to make this.


For those concerned about termites I think this is no different than using wood chips as mulch I'd think. We do spray for bugs all around the house.

Plants growing up the trellis

Here's a followup picture as it slowly starts to get some growth! I'll post another as it continues.

Resources for this project:
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 6 questions
  • Linda Burgess Linda Burgess on Jul 26, 2019

    What about termites I had wood post around my house it attracted termites 🤪🤨

  • Rhonda Miller Rhonda Miller on Jul 26, 2019

    I like it. Looks rustic. I would think the logs would rot and draw bugs though. Where do you live?

  • Pf.341098 Pf.341098 on Jul 30, 2019

    More of a thought than question, but are you having to tie the plants to the cords or do they have tendril that grab on on their own? As a landscaper, I would suggest that you make sure there is air circulation between the plants and your siding. And tendrils have a tendency to go under your siding and could cause damage. I would hate for you to have an issue, after it starts to fill in and look gorgeous. Best of luck!

Comments
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  • Sandra Sandra on Jul 26, 2019

    Lob ot beautiful. What type of plants did you use? Will they grab the wire themselves like grapevine? I live in az and have onl found tings i need to train up.

  • Frances Anderson Frances Anderson on Mar 14, 2023

    i too love to use my garden cutting and waste nothing. i have a log pile for bugs as all the pesticides are killing off natural food food for birds so i feed the birds and they keep the pests down without dangerous chemicals entering my food chain.. i grow mushrooms too using logs .. natural and beautiful just as it used to be ❤️

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