Most gardeners buy their trellis and other structures ready-made from garden centres, at gardening shows and through mail order. Others make their own. In the case of brickwork, there are plenty of books on the basics, and plenty of people with the skills if you're not keen on DIY.

Wooden structures are within the scope of practical gardeners, but you may find it quicker to buy off the shelf than trail around timber yards. Where DIY can be useful, however, is for tailoring trellis to fit non-standard spaces - use roofing laths and stainless steel screws.

Apart from wooden and wood-effect plastic structures, you'll also find wrought-iron and steel items on sale. Not quite so easy to emulate at home, although some gardeners use heavy-duty black plastic water pipe to make economical arches and other structures.

Whatever you choose, it needs to be easy to install, durable and easy to maintain. Free-standing structures need a firm footing and anchorage; trellis on walls should be safely fastened, and easy to remove if maintenance to the wall becomes necessary.