Design Ideas for Garden Arches

Arches make attractive decorative features, ideal for enlivening a garden. They are most frequently seen creating access points from one side of a barrier to the other in fences, walls or hedges, but they are also used freestanding as pure ornament, clothed with climbing plants such as clematis and honeysuckle (Lonicera). The more ornate arches, especially those made of wrought iron, are best left unadorned or only partially covered with rambling or climbing roses.

The positioning of arches should be carefully considered; they should be tied in with another structure or placed in an obvious position, such as at the beginning or end of a path, or at the dividing line between a lawn and vegetable plot. Arches can be used as very effective framing devices, to draw attention to a view, a statue or a water feature. An arch set in a wall or hedge will encourage people to walk under it and into the garden beyond; set over a gate, an arch will define the area as an entrance and give it presence, particularly if it is combined with a pathway.

As a purely decorative feature, position a plant-clad arch over a seat or path, or arrange several in a circle for an especially ornate effect.

There are several materials from which arches can be constructed. To a certain extent, the material is unimportant since it will be mostly covered with plants, but bear in mind that in winter the arch will be leafless. For freestanding structures wood or metal are best, as brick and stone can look rather heavy used in isolation. An arch which is sited in a fence, wall or hedge will look more integrated if it is worked in the same material as the boundary. For more of a feature, however, use contrasting materials: metal and wood look good in association with hedges; metal will also complement brick and stone.

Freestanding arches that are designed to carry plants are relatively exposed compared to other structures that support climbers. Therefore, they must be well anchored into the ground, preferably set in concrete, to resist the ill effects of the wind.