designing the perfect Garden Gate

Tucked into a fence, an arbor, a hedge, or a wall, the gate beckons us toward the entry or into garden rooms beyond. It may be purely decorative, or a discreet property marker-or it might provide privacy and even security.

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Designs changed with the era and from region to region. Fences and gates have a vast historical architectural vocabulary, so they are best designed starting with function. Then you can consider the material to be used, the period and style to be evoked, and the particulars of installation given climate and position in the garden. Whether in wood or metal, the gate should complement the house.

THE FRAME A FENCE OR PIER

Larger gates, especially, often are attached to posts or piers of a different material. For example, a wooden gate may be let into a stone wall; a metal gate may attach to brick piers. A gate might be just one element of a structural assemblage that includes walls or screens, a roof, or seating. In other words, the gate may be the whole point of the design, not just an entry. Some gates, though, open through a "living fence" of plant material, be that trees or a hedge. These are invitations or a focal point.