50 Climbing Plant and Vine Design Ideas To Give Your Outdoor Area a New Look

Written By Kenneth Wilson  |  0 Comments

One way to bring more life and color to your outdoor area without taking up too much space is by using climbing plants and vines.

This is a simple and beautiful addition that can be placed on a wall, planter, roof, and more. Climbing plants are also versatile when it comes to design as you can train them to grow on wires, trellises, and other frames you want to use.

Besides using it for decorating, it can also be used to hide unattractive areas and structures in your yard. If you don't where to put these gorgeous plants, here are 50 design inspirations so that you can make your outdoor area look more attractive.

1. Wall decor

Do you have a plain white wall? Bring some color and life to it by trailing climbing plants along a wire against the wall. It's going to grow all over the wall, but even if it doesn't, it will still look great.

(Source: Pinterest)

2. Beautiful arbor

When arbors are covered with climbing plants, it feels like you're entering a new world as you pass through. Check out this design — a plain metal arbor turned into a gorgeous entryway.

(Source: Backyards Click)

3. Potted climbing plants

You can also use climbing plants as a normal plant decoration. With a pot and some stakes, you can have a beautiful tall planter of climbing greenery.

4. Bring life to your garage

You can use climbing plants to decorate your garage's exterior. Add some color by trailing greenery around the doors or walls. This will help make a garage look unique and even welcoming.

(Source: The Spruce)

5. Climbing a trellis

A trellis is a frame used for climbing plants and flowers. It can be used as a decorating, screen, or partition for your outdoor area. Here's an example of a trellis used to decorate a yard.


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(Source: Gina Michele)

6. Green glass

If you have tall glass windows, you can use climbing plants or vines to add some privacy. Not only will it keep wandering eyes from seeing inside your home, but it would also make the area look more attractive.

(Source: Pinterest)

7. Decorating a fence

Brings some color and life to a fence using beautiful climbing plants. Besides decorating a fence, it will also add some privacy by covering the gaps.

(Source: Country Living)

8. Living wall

Another way to decorate a plain or blank wall is jute twine and climbing plants such as money plant, ivy, and wandering jew. You will use the twine to create a frame for the plants; check out the example below:

9. Shade from the sun

Besides using climbing plants as a decoration, you can also use it to create some shade for your outdoor area. You can use a bar or wire to hold up the plants on top.

(Source: Modular Walls)

10. Garden wall trellis

You can also use a wire and climbing plants to decorate a partition or colored wall. Check out this design. As long as the color of the flowers or plants doesn't contrast, then the area would look great.

(Source: One Kings Lane)

11. Decorating the posts

Do you sometimes feel that the posts along your porch, deck, or balcony look unattractive? You can use climbing plants to cover them, just like this one.

(Source: Pinterest)

12. More shade under pergolas

Instead of curtains, you can use climbing plants to provide more shade and privacy under your pergola. It will also make the area look more attractive, just like the photo below.

13. PVC Garden Trellis

Another planter decoration you can add to your garden is this PVC garden trellis. It's a unique addition that looks just like a mini-arc in your yard.

14. Colorful porch

Why hide these beautiful plants in the backyard? You may also want to decorate your porch or front yard with climbing plants and vines. This will also help increase a home's curb appeal.

(Source: Miss Gingham)

15. Adding green to a deck trellis

Some elevated decks have a trellis or some sort of screen to cover the space below. You can use climbing plants to add some color to a deck, just like this design.

16. In-between steps

For those who have stairways or steps, you can add some color by trailing some greenery in-between. This one shows how the plants look great with the metal railings and brick steps.

(Source: Pinterest)

17. Around handrails

If you don't have steps for the plants to latch one, you can let them trail the handrails. It would make a plain stairway look more attractive, with the greenery and flower accents.

18. Invisible trellis

Do you want a unique climbing plant decoration? With some fishing line and notched pieces of wood, you can create an invisible trellis in your patio or front porch.

19. Wall art

Create beautiful and simple wall art with some climbing plants. This will make plain-colored walls look more attractive, just like this one.

20. Landscape decoration

You can also use a simple vertical planter to decorate your yard with climbing plants. Here is a tower-like trellis that would bring a different look and add some color to an outdoor area.

(Source: My Desired Home)

21. Roof canopy

You can also add some shade to your outdoor area by creating a trellis roof canopy over it. It's a natural roof that will make you feel as if you're in the wilderness.

22. Surrounding a window

If you prefer not blocking your window with plants, you can use decorate with climbing plants around the window. Add some plants below, and it would look like an enchanting entryway.

(Source: Pinterest)

23. Vines on a fence

For those who want a less conspicuous decoration on their fences, you can train a few vines just to bring some color to the area. Here's how to plant and train vines on a fence.

24. Lighting and greenery

To bring some life to an outdoor area, a great combination is wrapping a pergola, post, or arbor with lights and climbing plants. The reflecting light on the greenery will make the place enchanting.

(Source: Pinterest)

25. Plant posts

If you have a pergola, pathway, or structure with grid roofing you can tie wires at the ends and stick it to the ground. Trail some climbing plants and it will look like posts, just like this design.

(Source: Net Luxury)

26. Dress frame trellis

A unique decoration you can create with climbing plants is using a dress frame trellis. You could even plant different types for the hem and the upper part so that it would look like a real dress.

27. Partial shade

Cover a part of your home with climbing plants so that you'll have some cover as you walk in or out of your home. You will also be able to hang by the entryway, enjoying the cool breeze and shade.

(Source: Country Living)

28. Welded trellis

Most of the trellises mentioned above are made of wood, so here's a different material and style. This is a metal trellis welded to an exterior wall. Watch the video to find out how to install one.

29. Chair decoration

If you have an old chair, you can also use it as a frame for your climbing plants. Here's a chair covered with climbing plants. It's a unique design, which you can also add some ornaments such as the squirrel.

30. Metal garden obelisk tower

Make your outdoor area look regal with a metal obelisk stand planter. This is a nice frame to use for climbing plants and vines. It's probably going to look like a small tree once it's fully covered.

(Source: Pinterest)

31. Hexagonal planter

Check out these unique wall planters. It has a hexagonal shape and pastel colors, making the blank wall look more attractive. You don't even need flowers to add some color to space.

(Source: HGTV)

32. Privacy screen

One way to make your outdoor area more private is by using a privacy screen. Instead of using a wall or solid partition, you can use climbing plants to prevent people from peering inside.

33. Trellis planter

Get the best of both a trellis and planter by installing a combination of both. Here's a trellis planter where you can allow climbing plants to grow from the planter into the trellis.

34. Door decoration

If you want to decorate your porch or front entryway, you can surround it with gorgeous climbing plants. Check out this pastel pink door with similar-colored climbing plants. Doesn't it look lovely?

(Source: Southern Living)

35. Ladder trellis

Before throwing an old ladder away, you can use that as a frame for your climbing plants. Here is a ladder trellis placed in the middle of a garden. It's probably going to blend in better once it's fully covered.

36. Partition

If you want to designate areas in your yard, you can use a trellis partition. Not only will it divide your space, but it will also add some privacy.

(Source: Lonestar DIY)

37. Hide unattractive areas

Do you want to hide a pipe or something unattractive in your yard? Use climbing plants to hide these things in plain sight, which will also help increase your curb appeal.

(Source: Gardenista)

38. Hanging money plant

A simple yet beautiful decoration to create with climbing plants is these lantern-like planters. It would look just lovely hanging outside the front porch or patio.

39. In-between cracks

Whether you have a cracked wall or one with gaps, you can make it look more attractive by letting climbing plants grow in-between. Check out this stone wall with flowers growing out of the gaps.

(Source: Pennington)

40. Garden arc

Make an arc or arbor look more attractive with beautiful climbing plants. You can use it as a decoration or place it by the entrance of your yard.

(Source: My Desired Home)

41. Gate decoration

Make a metal gate more colorful with beautiful climbing plants. Let it grow on top and between the rails, turning it into a gorgeous flower gate.

(Source: Blog Sum)

42. Wall-mounted rebar trellis

You can also use wall-mounted rebar for your climbing plants' trellis. This white wall looks more attractive with the greenery and color of the rebar.

43. Pergola vine coverage

Provide more coverage for your pergola by using vines on the roof. You will get just the right amount of sunlight, allowing you to enjoy your outdoor area at any time of the day.

44. Frame planter

Here's a combination of a trellis and planter. This frame planter would look lovely by a wall, wide post, or fence. It also helps organize the climbing plants instead of it being a ball of mess.

45. Metal wall

You can cover an entire wall with greenery using metal bars all over. Once the metal is fully covered, it would look like a green living wall.

(Source: Pinterest)

46. Overflowing planter

You can also use the way climbing plants droop for a planter, just like this design. The way these plants cascade looks gorgeous, along with the plants sticking up above.

47. Hanging decor

This outdoor area looks like it's located in a fairytale with the hanging plants. You can do the same for a pergola or any outdoor structure with a roof you can trail climbing plants.

48. Wall wires

Easily train climbing plants along a wall with a wire. Not only is it invisible, but you can also create a pattern or design that the plants can follow.

49. Roof draping

Doesn't this outdoor area look lovely? It looks enchanting with the climbing plants cascading by the roof. You can also use the branches to decorate the area as well.

(Source: Homes To Love)

50. Green curtain

You can also use climbing plants as a natural curtain for your patio, pergola, or outdoor shade structure. It will add some shade and privacy as well as make the area look more attractive.

(Source: Pinterest)

About the Author

I can build it, and I can help you get the patio enclosure you want! I got my start in the Florida patio industry back in the 70s as a young general laborer looking for something to make a few bucks. At the time I never thought it would end up as my career. Over the years I grew beyond the laborer position, becoming a foreman, superintendent, and then into executive management for some of the largest patio contractors, and material vendors. Now into retirement and slightly bored, I offer consulting services to new and existing contractors, and publish this website to help the people who love their patio's and screen enclosures the most - YOU!

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