The word "trellis" comes from the Latin trillicus (meaning "three threads"), so it is not surprising that the trellis first appeared as far back as the ancient Greek and Roman empires. Ancient frescoes adorning the garden walls of Pompeii and Herculaneum depict the use of trellises to define separate spaces of a garden and to train climbing plants, clearly becoming an integral part of the periods ’ architectural design.
As the Roman Empire expanded, trellises spread throughout Europe. They were later seen adorning medieval castle gardens, where they were used to train scented flowers and create secluded spaces.
A favorite during the Renaissance, they seemed to disappear for many years afterwards, only to experience a resurgence in popularity during the Arts and Crafts movement of the late nineteenth century.
In Horace Walpole’s essay “Modern Gardening,” he wrote of the trellises of Paris, “They form light corridors, and transpicuous arbours through which the sun-beams play and chequer the shade, set off the statues, vases and flowers..." Today, the simple and beautiful trellis is once again enjoying a comeback.