DIY Plant Trellis for Flower Pots

This DIY plant trellis project is the perfect way to create tall flower pots. Create some for your front door, porch, or patio this season.

When we replaced our double front door with a single door, I knew that I would want to place flanking pots on the porch. I used to have a large black planter that sat to the left, and that just doesn't work with the new door. I think I'll place the old planter in the garden where our maple tree used to be. The two pots that I used in the garden for the color wheel post are now used to flank the front door. The trellises give them great height.

This post contains some affiliate links (that means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, there's no additional cost to you, but I will earn a very small commission. ) i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Making a Trellis for Potted Plants

To make the trellis, purchase a standard tomato cage that you can find at any garden center and flip it upside down. Feel free to paint them black as I did or any color you want.

Top the cages with baluster knuckles, normally used to decorate metal stair legs, to cap the top of the cage like a finial. A rubber band works well to hold the legs together first, but may not be necessary.

The one problem I had was the size of the pot, compared to the diameter of the lowest ring. They were just about the same. It would have been better if the pot was a tad bigger, or the cage a little smaller. If you are buying the tomato cages and the pots at the same time then you can make sure that they fit well. I wanted to re-use pots that I already had and they were close enough.

Either way, you need something to stake the bottom ring into the pot like these plant label stakes. They keep the cage firmly in place. You could also use a heavy gauge wire and make your own stakes.

Sticking with my purple and green theme for the year, I planted sweet potato vine, lobelia, and calibrachoa trailing around the sides.  These are all great trailing plants with great color. And they grow well in partial sun and shade.

Note: Add the plants to the pot before attaching the trellis.

Vining Plants for the Trellis

The star of the planter, though small for now,  is a black-eyed Susan vine placed in the back. I used the twist tie that came with the plant to attach it to one of the sides of the trellis. You could also use a piece of twine to tie it to the trellis. Eventually, the tendrils will naturally cling to the trellis as the plant grows.

I know from experience that this pretty flowering vine is a vigorous grower and will shine in this planter. I'm seeing more and more of this vine in the nurseries this year. The yellow shown here is pretty standard, but it also comes in white, peach, orange, and pink.

The next day, the vine already attached itself to the trellis and started growing.

I'm loving the vibrant color of our entrance this year. I can't wait to see what it will look like when everything grows in.

Update: Here's a pic just a few weeks later