I'm a strong believer that everything around the home can be beautiful. Case in point: drainpipes. They're a purely functional part of your garden, right? Designed to direct surplus water from your gutters to drains on the ground without waterlogging your garden. But what if they could be a design statement while doing it?
Drainpipe trellises not only cleverly conceal these practical pieces of plumbing, but can turn the detail into an eye-catching moment of design. Whether enchantingly entwined with fast-growing climbing plants or left as bare decorative ironwork, this idea turns function into a feature.
And just like with other garden trellis ideas, the options out there come in a number of different styles — whether designed to rust over time, organized into an ornate pattern, or even finished in a soft sage green for a more contemporary look.
This drainpipe trellis is made from raw metal and designed to softly rust over time, adding plenty of character and patina. It's finished with metal balls, which give it an elegant touch, and will train plants to wrap around and conceal unsightly drainpipes. This style is currently on pre-order with stock expected to arrive in late September.
And of course, when it comes to choosing a drainpipe trellis, designs can be as creative as you want. Either select something simple, symmetrical, and straight-lined for a cool, contemporary look, or opt for a more elaborate design if your garden decor ideas are more relaxed.
It's also worth keeping in mind the kind of plants you want to grow on your drainpipe trellis, too (if any at all). Word to the wise: climbers, especially ones that produce numerous shoots and runners, can quickly become invasive and damage your brickwork by working their way into any cracks and gaps. So, if you're going to encourage any plants to climb, train them to climb the trellis, not your walls.
Available in a soft sage green or pre-aged rustic finish with a UV-protected coating, this drainpipe trellis features elegant lattice wirework and would suit a myriad of spaces. The tight-woven frame allows most climbers to latch on and quickly cover the entire structure. Measuring 100cm tall, 26cm wide, and 17cm deep, you may need a few to cover the entire drainpipe, depending on its full height or how much you need to cover.
From the same brand as the previous drainpipe trellis, and also available in the sage green and pre-aged rustic finish, this style features a more relaxed and open steel latticework, which would be best if you want to train plants into a more 'designed' look, rather than all over. Agriframes notes that it is ideal for both hard-stemmed and soft-stemmed climbers, and it also measures 100cm tall, 26cm wide, and 17cm deep.
This is a much more decorative drainpipe trellis — a good choice for anyone looking to stylishly conceal a drainpipe without growing plants over it. Its hinged-design forms a 'V' shape that will fit around any size of drainpipe (or even just the corner of a house). It's slightly taller than the other designs, at 117cm tall and 30cm wide, and it's made from wrought iron with a corrosion-resistant powder-coated finish that adds durability.
Other Ways to Hide Drainpipes
But, of course, drainpipe trellises aren't the only way to conceal these unsightly features — you can use garden screening ideas, mounted flower pots, and even trellis tapes that feel even more unnoticeable. All of which you can find below.
Depending on how big your garden is, you could always use a more traditional garden screen to cover your drainpipes. Inspired by nature itself, this curved timber style is almost sculpture-like, and, measuring 186cm high and 76cm wide, will be sure to cover even the most unsightly of plumping. Made from weatherproof, impregnated, solid, and durable natural pine, it also comes with a metal spike for added support.
These clever flowerpot 'clickers' come with a Velcro strap that wraps around the drainpipe, and a non-slip clip you can easily secure to the planter. The pot can be easily lifted from the clip when it comes to replanting, and a clever inbuilt overflow pipe ensures you'll never have waterlogged roots. They're also made from 100% recycled plastic, made with wind energy, and are 100% recyclable, should you ever wish to replace them. Choose between this pistachio green, black, or white,
For a more discreet option to drainpipe trellis, this kit includes almost 4 meters of a perforated white plastic mesh sheet that acts like a trellis and can be wrapped around your drainpipes and connected using the supplied cable ties, hooks, or glue. The sheet is is UV-resistant and won't heat up (or damage plants in the sun), and also won't blow over in the wind (like traditional trellises might). It's also a good space-saving option if you don't have a massive yard.
Want to know what's even better? Consider replacing your drainpipes altogether with a rain chain idea that doubles as a water feature in your garden.
