We've all been there. It's late August, and the tomato cage that looked so big and imposing in the spring is being crushed or just plain toppled under the weight of a massive tomato plant.
This is just one of the many reasons I said goodbye to traditional tomato cages several years ago. (The main reason was that storing them in my shed was driving me insane). I traded them in for modular tomato cages, and I have never once regretted my decision. Here they are on Amazon if you want to take the plunge yourself.
Or maybe you want something a little more aesthetically pleasing. Because if there's one drawback to my beloved plastic cages, it's that they aren't particularly pretty.
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(Image credit: Liz Baessler / Future)
If you want something sturdy to hold your tomato plants up, why not make it beautiful? I'm a big proponent of garden art, and the best kind is the kind that incorporates the plants around it. There are plenty of arches, obelisks, and trellises that not only provide the heavy-duty support big plants need, but also create a gorgeous focal point. Here are some of the coolest ones out there.
The Best Trellises for Garden Art
1. The Showstopper Arch
This is a classic metal garden arch. Can you imagine how magical it would be to walk under a canopy of hanging cherry tomatoes? Or cucumbers, like in this picture, which is slightly less romantic.
2. The Metal Obelisk
A beautiful, structural obelisk that looks good even in early spring before the plants grow in. It's sure to make a statement in your garden because it's seven and a half feet tall! (You can get a shorter one, but why would you?)
3. The Cedar Pyramid
You can think of this pyramid as four wooden trellises leaned together, creating one mega-trellis. It looks great with plants growing on it, but even on its own it's stunning and a little bit mysterious...
4. The Heavy Duty Wall Trellis
This 4 foot by 2 foot lattice structure will make any wall climbable, and it'll take a lot to pull it down. For when you want to grow tomatoes in a narrow space or even up against the house.
5. The Minimalist Spiral
Heavy-duty minimalism. Pretend this support isn't even there as the tomato leafs out around it.
6. The Modular Option
Okay, this is my baby. Like I said, it's not as stylish as the other options, but it's super tough and it breaks down into pieces that fit in a single bag in my shed!
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