When it comes to both indoor and outdoor decorating, my wife is a very crafty and creative person, but sometimes I tend to forget this, so when she came home the other day with a metal garden trellis I thought she had lost her mind, as well as wasted a good chunk of money. However, she has quickly schooled me in the ways of the metal garden trellis (to steal and modify a line from an all time classic). Since she brought home this metal garden trellis I have learned that there is more than one use for them.

Depending on your preference, you can choose to set a metal garden trellis up to accentuate the beauty of a garden or you can use it to be the main attraction in a bland area of your yard (perhaps a place where plant life does not grow to well), or you can forego the usual outside manner in which metal trellises are used and set it up inside to give a room a more outside feeling. From this point in the decision making process, the sky is the limit as to what you do next. You're only limited by your own imagination.

Less creative individuals, like me, often opt to put a metal garden trellis to use in the original manner it was created for - in a garden. Though it might not be as original as what some might do, the outside garden trellis is still a popular staple of gardens all across the nation. These trellises add a dimension and texture to gardens that might need a little brightening up, or can do the same for any outdoor area.

A very popular use for trellises is to let vines grown on them. Vines often lead to trouble in some gardens though because they can grow haphazardly over your fence or the side of your house, and even your lawn furniture. However, if maintained properly, they can be used as very attractive foliage if pruned and not allowed to grow hither and thither. It is possible to maintain the old world feel of a trellis while maintaining the control of growth! Anyone who tells you differently is probably to lazy to put in the effort to do so.

If you're not the garden-type, you can still use a trellis to improve your yard. Even the most abysmal lawns can be made to look better with the simple addition of a trellis, which can create a more inviting outdoor space. You can also use the trellis to define a certain area of your yard, either front or back. It can be the backdrop to a swing chair or other type of lawn furniture. Throwing a scene such as this together can create a peaceful area in which to relax with a book or just observe nature.

Now if you're the type who wants to bring the outdoors inside your home, then consider using a metal trellis as the headboard for your bed, or modify it so that it can be used as a candle holder; again, your only limited by your own imagination.

About the Author

Read more from Joe Goertz at: mygarden-magazine.com