Landscaping Ideas: The Garden Gate
by Doug
(in his garden somewhere)
A combined garden gate and trellis
I want to show you some garden gates and give you the reason we use them in garden design.
We use them to “frame the view” of the garden - much like you use a picture frame to set off and focus attention on the painting. We do the same for the garden.
We use them to create mystery in our gardens. A gate says, there’s something behind here you can’t see. And the first question in the viewers mind is, “What’s on the other side?”
We also use them to enhance our privacy. We all need a refuge from the stress of living and a gate in the garden design creates a very private space both visually and physically.
Garden gates reflect the overall landscape design. Formal gardens get formal gates while cottage garden gates reflect the rustic nature of the area.
Finally, you continue your landscaping beyond the garden to include the gate in your planning. For example, an ‘open” style of gate borrows the view from next door through the various holes in the gate while a solid gate shuts off the view and focusses attention within the garden itself.
