Shop Our Bestselling Nicole Arch Trellis

The very first metal trellises I ever bought—a birthday present to myself—were these two beautiful arches custom made by a metal worker in Houston, Texas. For years, my clients and students would tell me, "I want a trellis just like yours."

So I set about figuring out how I could create a shippable version of my arch trellises so that you and I could be trellis twinsies. I sawed one of my originals in half and shipped it to our manufacturer. They sent us back a prototype, we made some adjustments, and voila! We have a kit for my trellis that can ship right to your doorstep.

I have used this arch in so many of my kitchen garden designs for clients and featured it in my first book, Kitchen Garden Revival. I now have four of them myself, the original two and then two new kits that serve as entrances to my kitchen garden.

If you're considering whether this trellis is right for your garden space, check the dimensions carefully to make sure it'll fit as intended. Scroll down to find more information about the trellis material, dimensions, and assembly directions.

Nicole Arch Trellis Material

The Nicole Arch Trellis is heavy, even though the parts are hollow. This trellis is a high-quality, durable piece of garden architecture made out of metal and then powder-coated in black for added weather resistance. Of course, anything made of metal that's outdoors will eventually rust over time, but this trellis is made to last for many years.

If you've ever put together a trellis kit with lots of nuts and bolts, you know that it's each of those little connections that breaks down and rusts first. This trellis requires no screws, nuts, or bolts to avoid having areas of weakness.

I've received numerous questions about how strong this trellis is. People want to know if it'll hold up under perennials like climbing roses, and the answer is yes. The metal provides a sturdy structure, and then there are four stakes to secure the trellis in place. I weigh about 135 pounds, and I can hang from my Nicole arch trellises once they're properly installed in the garden.

Dimensions of the Nicole Arch Trellis

TRELLIS HEIGHT

This trellis measures 88 inches (or not quite 7.5 feet) tall at the very top of the arch.

Note: If you plan to put this trellis in a raised bed, you'll want to bury it deeply. Once it's installed, the top still shouldn't be much more than 7.5 feet above the ground. Even with the base buried, however, you'll still have 6 or so feet to grow indeterminate vines like tomatoes, pole beans, and cucumbers, all plants that can grow at least 6 feet tall.

TRELLIS WIDTH

The base measures 67 inches on the outside, or just over 5.5 feet wide. From one interior side to the other, the width is 65 inches. This measurement is important to know how wide a pathway can be between two raised beds if you're spanning the arch over the pathway. That means your pathway could be as wide as 5 feet, and you'll still have room for this arch trellis to go on either side.

If your pathway is more narrow, this trellis can still work; you'll simply push your trellis deeper into the interior of each bed instead of having it right on the outer edge.

TRELLIS DEPTH

From front to back, this trellis measures 15 inches. This measurement is important because this is how much space you have to plant vining plants along the base. I love this depth because you can grow at least four cherry tomatoes around each base and still give every plant plenty of space.

Notes on the Nicole Arch Trellis

This trellis can ship across the continental US and arrives in a box. The trellis uses no screws or bolts, so you don't need any extra tools for assembly. Two people should be able to assemble this trellis in about 15 minutes.

Before you begin assembling your Nicole Arch Trellis, here are a couple tips to make the process nice and easy.

• Grab a partner to help with the heavy lifting. The trellis weighs about 75 pounds. It also helps with assembly to have someone hold one side while you attach the other.
• Lay all the pieces on a soft surface to avoid scratching the finish. I typically assemble trellises on the grass right next to my kitchen garden.
• If you're using the ground stakes, it's helpful to have a rubber mallet to break ground.

Step One to Assemble the Nicole Arch Trellis

Carefully unpack all parts from the box. You'll notice that each piece is wrapped to prevent scratching. Check that you have everything.

Your Nicole Arch Trellis kit should come with the following parts:

• 4 ground stakes
• 2 side panels
• 2 arch panels

Step Two to Assemble the Nicole Arch Trellis

This trellis assembles by sliding female ends onto male ends. Begin by assembling the top of the trellis. Slide the arch panel with two male sides into the arch panel with two female sides.

Step Three to Assemble the Nicole Arch Trellis

Slide the side panels onto each side of the arch.

Step Four to Assemble the Nicole Arch Trellis

The trellis should lock in place and be complete. Store the trellis on its side until you're ready to install it. The female ends on both side panels will be placed over the ground spikes if you're installing the trellis in the ground.

How to Install the Nicole Arch Trellis

Be sure to use the ground stakes if your trellis is going in the ground. Mark the spots where each ground stake should go. Use a rubber mallet to secure the spikes and bury them all the way to the square to ensure the trellis will be secure.

If your Nicole trellis is going in a raised bed, you'll bury it about 10 to 12 inches deep in the soil You can use the ground stakes for added security, but you'll also need to bury part of the base of the trellis so that it's nice and secure. If your raised garden bed is less than one foot deep, you'll want to dig into the earth at least four to six inches and secure your trellis deeper with the ground stakes.

If you're retro-fitting your arch trellis in a bed already filled with soil, I'd recommend digging out the soil in the area of the bed where you'll install the trellis. Then, you'll place the trellis and its stakes, and backfill all the way to the top of the raised garden bed with soil.

Celebrate!

Your Nicole Arch Trellis is now assembled and installed!

Here are a few ideas of what to plant on your Nicole arch trellis:

IN THE COOL SEASON:

• sugar snap peas
• fava beans
• snow peas
• runner beans

IN THE WARM SEASON:

• cherry tomatoes
• cucumbers
• pole beans
• climbing nasturtium
• passion vine
• hyacinth bean

IN THE HOT SEASON:

• tomatillos
• asparagus beans
• Armenian cucumbers
• luffa gourds
• passion vine
• coral vine

Hope You Enjoy Your Nicole Arch Trellis

This trellis will make your kitchen garden feel like a special getaway in your own backyard.

If you're considering purchasing the Nicole Arch for your space, I hope seeing pictures of it in different gardens has given you a better sense of how it might look in your own garden. I can't wait to send one to you and see it in your space!

And if you've already bought this trellis, may you enjoy it for years to come!

Thanks so much for being here. It's everyone in my Gardenary community who has commented and liked videos over the years who has made it possible for us to create our very own trellis design that we can put in a box and send to your doorstep—an absolute dream come true!

If you have any questions about the trellis, feel free to reach out to us at shop@gardenary.com.