The Modern Arch Trellis Is Our Most Popular Trellis

If there was an award for modern elegance in the garden, it would go to this trellis. 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.

This trellis can be used to span two garden beds, create a pathway or an inviting entrance into your garden space, or serve as a beautiful backdrop for a special event. It looks stunning whether it's covered in plant mass or bare. If you want to grow large vining plants, the Modern Arch Trellis will give you maximum room for your cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, or pole beans. Large arch trellises like this one really make the most of your growing area.

If you've purchased the Modern Arch Trellis, you can rest assured it'll look incredible. 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.

Modern Arch Trellis Material

Metal provides the sturdiest structural support for your climbing plants in the garden. It's also the most durable option of the garden trellis materials available.

The Modern Arch Trellis is made of black powder-coated steel, which is extremely weather resistant and made to last. You'll get to enjoy this trellis in your garden for decades to come.

Dimensions of the Modern Arch Trellis

Trellis Height

This trellis measures 84 inches (7 feet) tall at its highest point 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 feet above the ground.

Trellis Width

The base measures 40 inches, or just over 3 feet wide. If your walkway is wider than 3 feet, this trellis will not work with your space. If you measure from the outer edge of one base plate to the other, the trellis is 47.5 inches across.

Trellis Depth

From front to back, this trellis measures 20 inches.

A Word of Caution About the Dimensions of This Trellis

Here's your buyer beware, guys: The Modern Arch Trellis is curved, which means it is narrower at its base than at the middle of the curve.

The very first time I ordered this trellis for an installation at a client's house, I didn't take this into consideration. The raised garden beds were already installed, leveled, and partially filled when the trellis arrived. I had planned to install the trellis on the inside edges of two raised beds so that it would span a pathway between. It wasn't until my team and I tried to place the trellis that we realized the very bottom of the trellis curves inward sharply.

The beds were too far apart—the trellis wouldn't fit!

I had only accounted for the trellis at its widest point. Fortunately, one of my guys was able to saw off the bottom of the trellis so that we didn't have to start the installation all over again. The trellis now fit the space... It was just a foot shorter.

I'm assuming you don't want to have to saw off part of your brand-new trellis, so check and doublecheck your measurements.

This trellis can ship across the continental US and arrives in a box. You don't need any extra tools for assembly. Two people should be able to assemble this trellis in about 30 minutes.

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

• Grab a partner to help with the heavy lifting.
• Assemble the trellis as close to its permanent location as possible. Once it's all put together, it'll be difficult to move.
• Assemble the trellis on its side on a soft surface to avoid scratching the finish. I typically assemble trellises on the grass right next to my kitchen garden.

Step One to Assemble the Modern Arch Trellis

Carefully unpack all parts from the box and check that you have everything using the list below or the included instructions.

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

• Two 24-inch long base plates
• 16 large bolts (these should arrive threaded into the base plates)
• Eight 18 inch split staples (these are the ground spikes to anchor your trellis)
• 10 joining bars with screws on ends
• Two left side arches labeled AL
• Two right side arches labeled AR
• One left side arch labeled BL
• One right side arch labeled BR
• One left side arch labeled CL
• One right side arch labeled CR
• One small wrench
• One large wrench

In total, there are eight large pieces of the arch to assemble, four for each side of the trellis. Make note of the attached paper labels to help you identify each piece.

Step Two to Assemble the Modern Arch Trellis

You'll begin by assembling one side of the modern arch trellis (one moon, basically). Grab all four of the large pieces that are labeled with an L for the left side (AL x 2, BL, and CL).

Lay the left side trellis pieces on the ground in the moon shape they'll form once assembled and standing. The two AL pieces will form the base on either side. The first AL piece will connect to BL; BL will connect to CL; and CL will connect to the second AL. So, the four pieces in order of assembly from left to right go AL, BL, CL, AL.

Make sure that the pre-drilled holes on the side of the pieces are all facing upward.

Each smaller tube end should be next to a larger socket. Go ahead and push the smaller tube ends of the A frame pieces into the sockets of parts B and C. Fit the smaller tube end of B into the socket of part C. Align the pre-drilled holes.

Step Three to Assemble the Modern Arch Trellis

Next, we're going to work on the joining bars. These are the smaller pieces that run between the two sides of the trellis.

Remove the pre-fitted bolts from each joining bar.

Insert the 10 joining bars through the larger holes in the joints of the left side of the trellis so that they rest against the inside outer walls of the tubes.

Insert bolts from below into the threaded bars and tighten.

Step Four to Assemble the Modern Arch Trellis

This is the step where having a partner is critical. It's time to assemble the second side of the trellis, so grab all the large pieces labeled for the right side (AR x 2, BR, and CR).

Place the large pieces on top of the joining bars in the following order: AR, CR, BR, AR. Push the smaller tube ends of each part into the socket of the next part.

Insert the remaining 10 bolts into the female threads of the joining bars. Tighten with a wrench. Go back around and tighten all 20 bolts to make sure they're secure.

Step Five to Assemble the Modern Arch Trellis

Now that the two sides of the trellis are joined, stand the arch in its upright position.

Lift each base up one at a time to push the base plate into position. Fasten the bottom of each part A onto the base plate. Tighten each bolt.

Move the Modern Arch Trellis into its permanent position.

How to Install the Modern Arch Trellis

I always say do the worst first. In this case, that means taking the time to fully secure your Modern Arch Trellis now to save yourself the heartache of an overturned arch trellis after a strong storm.

If your trellis is going in the ground, make sure to drive the ground staples through the base plate and into the ground for added stability. This is important since the trellis won't have soil around its base to hold it in place.

If your trellis is going in a raised bed, I recommend installing your arch trellis before you add soil to the bed, if that's at all possible. This ensures that the trellis is well-secured and won't move or give under the weight of all those beautiful vines it will soon be holding.

The very best way to install a trellis is to sink it into your raised bed gardens at least one foot down. 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. Use the ground staples that come with your trellis kit.

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. This is to, again, make sure the trellises are secure and strong.

Celebrate!

Your Modern Arch Trellis is now assembled and installed!

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

IN THE COOL SEASON:

Plant your arch trellis with sugar snap peas, fava beans, or snow peas, and when the weather warms a bit more, plant your trellis with runner beans.

IN THE WARM SEASON:

Plant your arch trellis with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, or pole beans. Flower options include climbing nasturtium, passion vine, and hyacinth bean. Check out our guide below for growing cherry tomatoes on an arch trellis.

IN THE HOT SEASON:

Plant your arch trellis with tomatillos, asparagus beans, Armenian cucumbers, or luffa gourds. For flowers, your best bets are passion vine and coral vine.

Hope You Enjoy Your Modern Arch Trellis

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

If you're considering purchasing the Modern 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.

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

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