If the clematis climbs up an obelisk, this climbing aid creates a picturesque appearance. With a little manual skill, you can easily build the wooden structure yourself. The following instructions explain step-by-step how to do it.
How do I build a climbing aid for clematis?
A climbing aid for clematis can be built yourself from wooden strips, corner supports and a wooden plate. Mount the trellises on the corner supports, attach the side parts and place the wooden plate and ball on top. Then paint the climbing aid weatherproof and attach tent pegs.
Material list
Use the following material to construct a climbing obelisk that can be used both in a bed and in a pot.
- 1 wooden panel in 100 x 100 mm and 20 mm thick
- 1 square strip in 25 x 25 mm
- 1 square strip in 15 x 10 mm
- 4 corner supports with a length of 1,800 mm
- 8 trellises each in 460, 420, 380, 360 and 280 mm length
- 8 spacers with a length of 20 mm
In addition, you will need: 4 tent pegs (€7.00 on Amazon), wooden dowels, nails, chipboard screws and waterproof wood glue. A wooden ball with a diameter of 80 mm serves as the top of the obelisk.
Construction instructions for the trellis
Cut the wood to the specified dimensions and then smooth the saw edges. Ideally, you drill the mounting holes before mounting the trellises on the corner supports. This way the wood cannot splinter. Follow these steps:
- To assemble the trellises, first fix 2 corner supports with nails and the square strips
- Mount the strips crosswise at a distance of 30 mm from the lower end
- Put a spacer under each of the first and last bars
- Fix the two finished side parts in the upper area with auxiliary pieces
- Now brace the remaining sides and remove the temporary holder again
- Attach the corner supports using dowels in the middle under the wooden panel
- Finally mount the wooden ball on the wooden plate
In the next step, paint the climbing aid for the clematis with weatherproof paint, ideally coordinated with the chosen flower color of the clematis. Finally, screw the tent pegs tight so that they give the trellis and thus also the clematis stability in the bed or pot.
Beautiful clematis for a climbing obelisk
These are the magnificently flowering hybrids that are ideal for cultivation on a climbing obelisk. The following varieties thrive up to 180 centimeters high, so that they will climb to the top of the self-made trellis over time.
- 'King's Child': a twice-flowering clematis with flowers in bright blue, pure white or rich purple
- ‘Mrs. George Jackman' impresses with double, white flowers in May/June and August/September
- 'Princess Diana', a summer-flowering clematis for sunny locations
Every clematis takes 1 to 2 years to develop its full beauty from the 3rd year onwards. During this time, she conquers the tendrils of the self-built obelisk with her strong leaf stalks.
Tips & Tricks
Build several obelisks as climbing aids for the clematis and place them next to each other in large pots. In this way you can create a magical privacy screen for the balcony, terrace or seat in the garden.
