Fake it ‘til you make it: The climber alternative you need now

Climbers can take a long time to, well… climb. This can cause many gardeners to become impatient and frustrated that their gardens are not thriving with an abundance of foliage and flowers. A clematis can take a long time to mature and flower profusely, and don’t get me started on climbing roses, which can take up to three years to become established and require close attention and pruning in the right places at the right time.

Basically, climbers are wonderful when they’ve finally crept their way up whatever wall, trellis or arch that you’ve planted them against, but they’re a little bit disappointing up to that point.

If you’re impatient and want to fill out your garden before your climbers are ready – or if you don’t want the hassle of climbers at all – you should explore the idea of a faux trellis!

Plastic plants: The positives I know some plant lovers will clutch their pearls at the thought of introducing faux plants into a garden, but there are a few reasons why it’s actually a good idea: 1. Instant attraction in your garden – as I was saying, some plants can take years to establish, and until then, you’re often longing for a fuller garden. Faux plants can fill in those gaps while the years pass, which is ideal especially if you’ve just moved into a home with a bare garden. 2. Low maintenance – faux plants obviously don’t require watering, feeding or pruning. Maybe just a little spray-down with some gentle eco-friendly detergent and hose after the winter! 3. Moveable – moving your faux plants to a different area in your outdoor space is easy, unlike moving established plants which requires far more effort, and the plant may require time to adjust to its new spot before it can continue growing or flowering. 4. Non-toxic – worried about the health of kids or pets in the garden? Some plants can be toxic, like Foxgloves, which can cause nausea, headache, skin irritation and diarrhoea if consumed. In comparison, plastic plants are less likely to be of interest to kids and pets, and if they are, they’re unlikely to be toxic. 5. Interest all year round – unlike annuals, perennials and deciduous trees, faux plants stay in colour all year, which means that you won’t experience that empty winter garden look.

The perfect faux trellis for your garden

It’s getting to that point of the year when you’re thinking about spending more time in the garden, so now is the time to invest in its appearance! QVC has a gorgeous range of faux trellises ready to be installed in your garden. But there’s one particular trellis that has caught my eye:

Garden Reflections Trellis in Bloom

This stunning trellis comes in a range of beautiful colours to suit all garden styles. Choose from:

• Green
• Violet
• Pink
• Ivory
• Plum

You get a lot for your money with this trellis, which is 200cm in height and 180cm in width. It’s also expandable and collapsible if you want to alter the size to fit your space – unlike many trellises at the garden centre – and can be installed horizontally or vertically.

Adding to that, this trellis has more leaf coverage than the average faux trellis, improving the appearance of your garden and providing more privacy (if you’re installing it as a privacy screen).

Made from strong-but-lightweight bamboo, the trellis is easy to install – you don’t need help from a professional – and can be easily moved from one area of the garden to another. The foliage won’t fade either, as it’s made with realistic UV resistant materials.

Use it to decorate your alfresco dining area or to bring rich greenery to areas of your garden that get little light! At £35, you can combine multiple trellises to transform a wall, fence, pagoda, shed or whatever!

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How would you style yours? Get it here at QVC.