Monday, February 16, 2009

Gate within a Gate In the Garden

Continuing on with some backlogged posts.

Echoing shapes, textures, and colors in the garden is a must for me. I like the familiarity of similar items all around me. I like to think it brings a bit of cohesiveness to the garden as well. Most of the time I intentionally plant, and build with this thought in mind. Not so with my Gate within a Gate.

I was struck when I realized the shape of the metal clematis arbor echoes almost exactly the shape of the PVC arbor welcoming one into the vegetable garden. The clematis arbor is the entrance to the backyard. It is our private area, but because our home is on a slight slope, one can usually see the vegetable garden and its center piece, the banana tree, from the road out front. The PVC arbor is massive compared to the clematis arbor, but due to the perspective it looks so much smaller.

When planning hardscaping for your garden, consider all views and perspectives and angles of anything you put in your garden. You will find so many more ways to enjoy it all by coordinating all pieces of the landscaping puzzle. Each arbor serves a purpose and looks great on its own, but together they give that added dimension of working together to become a 'Gate within a Gate'....

in the garden....

33 comments:

  1. Clever girl! You are so intelegent in your thinking!
    Linda

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  2. A gate within a gate? I'll keep that in mind. There are a lot on my mind right now that concern gardens and everything in a garden.

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  3. I love arbors. I don't have a big yard, but if I did I would have one as you enter the garden with roses growing on it. sigh...
    Have a great day Tina!

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  4. I like the idea of an arbor. Which clematis do you have on the one?
    Janet

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  5. Those two arbors give your garden nice structure Tina. I always try to view a new area from different angles when creating it. Good advice today!

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  6. Good morning Tina. I always wanted an arbor gate but my property just isn't laid out for one. Yours is very nice.
    Marnie

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  7. That is a neat effect! It definitely gives you an element of depth to draw in the eyes.

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  8. Good morning all! Beautiful but chilly morning here in Tennessee. A garden day for sure since it is supposed to rain tomorrow.

    Janet, There are four clematis on this arbor. I posted about them last year and you can find the post under 'clematis'. It was quite a lovely thing to see them all bloom. I hope it does as well this year too, but not knowing the types and when to prune I am taking a wait and see. Those vines have been there about 5 years.

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  9. I love the arbors. Hope yall had a great Valentine's also.

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  10. That's so well done, Tina. [Thumbs up]

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  11. That gives such depth to the garden! I really do like the tunnel effect from gate to arbor to arbor!

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  12. For not planning it, it came out well. Sunny today, thank goodness, no wind.

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  13. Arbours are so useful for climbing plants too, like your clematis - you get to see the flowers close to which is a bonus.

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  14. It looks awesome!!!

    Skeeter, I meant to tell you but Statice is a fast growing plant so I don't think you need to look for a plant as they even produce here in our short growing season with just sowing seeds. If you can't find them in a store I am sure seed companies have them. I know our seed company here in Maine has them. Just put johnny'sselectseeds in your search engine and then put statice in johnny's search and it will come up. Johnny's Select Seeds is a very good company.

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  15. That looks very cool Tina! What a happy accident!

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  17. Perfect eye-catcher and great to let the Clematis climb up and decorate the arbour.

    I have a few of those in my garden too and I let the Bramles climb on them.

    Tyra

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  18. I love arbors. I'm planning to put another one up this spring around the gate into my backyard (that's already in place). I'll have to share a photo when the project is done. I think I want to have roses climbing on mine tho... I bet yours is gorgeous in bloom.

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  19. It all looks very good Tina. I love the clematis growing on the one you made. I've thought about having an arbor at my gate going into the backyard. Hmmmm I do have 2 arbors that Young'un made for me. They are both in the backyard & both serve a purpose other that plants growing on them.

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  20. I love arbor gates and yours look very attractive, Tina.

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  21. You're so nice to add a link to my blog to your blogroll! (note to self: update blogroll).
    However: tiny little fault in it: I speak Dutch... like 55% of the Belgian people. So I'm not from the Netherlands (although I work over there) but from Belgium.

    (I decided yesterday to translate my Dutch posts into English from now on...)

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  22. I love the arbors too. I think you are right about thinking about how things look at different angles, I try to keep that in mind. It's fun when something unplanned though turns out to look so nice.

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  23. What a neat idea. It adds great perspective. We're planning to add an arbor this summer for our climbing rose. My hubby will build it out of small saplings.

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  24. Did you paint the arobr black? If so, how is it holding up on the PVC?

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  25. Tina,

    I like the repeated element. It does add dimension to a view.

    Cameron
    Back from a weekend break.

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  26. Thanks everyone. I do love arbors and it sounds like you all do too. They sure add an extra dimension to the garden. You guys are always so kind!

    Sarah, Yes fantastic.

    Anne, I updated the bloglist-thanks! And sorry.

    Susan, I have short 4x4s on the base of the 4" PVC arbor. This arbor is about 10 feet tall at its point and about 7 feet wide at its base. I used the new Fusion paint to spray paint all pieces a hunter green, then put them together with construction glue and slid the base over the 4x4s. It has been up for over 18 months and no issue with breaking or falling or anything. To allow the vines to grow up I wrapped it with chicken wire. A perfect foil that cannot even be seen. The Fusion paint is perfect, no chipping, peeling or even fading that I can see. Quite easy on all types of plastic. I need to paint some lawn furniture now that I think of it.

    Everyone have a great night. Busy busy day in the garden. Time for some ibuprofen. Or a heat pad!! Maybe Linda has an extra:)

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  27. Thanks for the tip! Our yard is so small, but it's a good thing to keep in mind, seeing how things look from different spots and angles.

    I love your gate within the gate.

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  28. Hi, Tina--I love it when you reprise your posts since I have so many to catch up on! The echoing arches are so cool. Good for you for being out in the garden--I got out during our warm days this week, but the temp has dropped again and then there's the whole work thing. But it's good to be reading again--I've missed you.

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  29. Jean, Thank you for the info! I will look for seeds and if no luck, will take your suggestions and order some. You are a sweetheart for letting me know this! I really do want to try them after all the positive comments about it, how could I not give it a try...

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  30. We're having a deck built this spring, and I told DH that I'm going to price having a really nice arbor built into the back yard. Now, what to plant on it? Hmmm. Clematis? Roses? Who knows!

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  31. I have an arbor and am looking for something that will grow over it quickly, and cover it with flowers. So I'm wondering... clematis, trumpet, climbing roses? I bet the clematis are gorgeous when they're in bloom. Oh I forgot morning glories!?

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  32. Sue-thanks!

    Cosmo, Good to see you back! I've missed you too. You and Cindy took a hiatus at about the same time and so I really missing my friends on here! Good to have you back!

    Robin and JGH, Most folks like roses on arbors. I don't do too many roses, though I have one that could easily cover 3 arbors-it is a pain! Anyhow, just one suggestion if you go with roses, make sure they are thornless. Also, why limit yourself to just one vine? Why not a few? Roses and clematis would work well I think. But I think clematis go with everything anyhow.

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  33. Oh, I love the way they "echo" one another. Subtle beauty there.
    Brenda

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