Skip The Fence: The Natural Alternative That'll Add A Rustic Touch

If you're looking for a way to add some privacy to your outdoor space, you may have considered traditional options such as fences, trellises, or screens. However, these choices can often look bulky, block out the lovely greenery of the outdoors, and prevent natural light from infusing your space. So, why not add privacy to your backyard with a more lightweight, rustic alternative instead?

This method involves using some fishing line to create a kind of invisible trellis, then training morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) to climb up it. By doing away with the need for a typical trellis or fence, you're able to create a living privacy screen that's dominated by the leaves and flowers of this sweet plant, rather than by wood or metal. However, it's important to note that, while morning glory grows best in USDA hardiness zones 2 to 11, these plants are considered invasive in certain areas of the United States. Before embarking on this clever DIY, make sure to check how the plant is classed in your local area. If it is considered invasive where you live, you could opt for some equally charming climbing plants for this project, such as an ivy, star jasmine, or Armand clematis. 

Whatever plant you choose, putting this invisible trellis solution together to make your backyard feel more private is relatively simple. You'll need some wood for the frame, some fishing line, and the plants themselves. 

There are a few different ways this DIY can be accomplished, depending on where you need the privacy. If you want to do it on your porch, for example, you will need to start with two pieces of wood, cut to the length of the opening that you want to cover. You'll then need to wrap a few lengths of the fishing line at regular intervals around one of the pieces of wood. Then, secure that piece of wood to the roof using some screws. This should form the top end of your invisible trellis.

Once that's done, arrange the fishing lines so they're hanging vertically down over the plant pot where you want to plant your morning glories. You can now wrap each length of fishing line around the second piece of wood, tie each one off, and cut off the excess. Finally, place the second piece of wood directly into the plant pot. After you've done that, you should have multiple invisible lengths of line, perfect for helping your morning glories climb up without the bulk of a traditional fence or trellis. Creating an invisible trellis this way will help your morning glories climb more easily, because the vertical fishing lines are situated right next to them in the pot, offering easy access. 

If you'd like to do this in your yard, you'll need to create your own bespoke frame for the fishing line since you won't have a roof to which you can attach the top end. To do this, take three pieces of wood and paint them in whatever color you like. Choosing a mild, earthy color may be a good idea to help the frame blend in with its surroundings. Then, you will need to screw the pieces of wood together so that they create an arch-shape, like a square with no fourth side. The two parallel pieces then need to be stood up so that the third piece can serve as the top of the frame. To secure the vertical wood pieces, you can either screw them onto the side of an existing structure like a raised garden bed or cut the ends into points and drive them into the soil. This can be made easier by wetting the ground slightly before driving the stakes in.

Once your frame is up, drill some holes into the vertical wood pieces and string your fishing line horizontally between the two posts. You can then plant your morning glories below. Because the fishing line is horizontal, you may need to add some small dowels or sticks into the soil for the morning glories to climb up in order to help them reach the first row of fishing line. Make sure to regularly check on them to ensure that their tendrils are climbing up towards the fishing lines, giving you a beautiful living screen to create privacy in your backyard.