Fence Arbor Designs – Accentuate the Gate
Fences are by nature utilitarian, keeping out unwanted guests and pests, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be beautiful as well. The problem is that often the aesthetics of a fence are much more expensive than the utility. This is where arbor designs and trellises integrated into the fence itself can really help out, by making even cheap fencing look gorgeous.
Often you find arbors built over gates in fences. Sometimes you will find that the fence is used as a trellis for climbing vines. You can even combine these approaches to have a simple arbor over your fence gate.
More extensive arbors and trellises aren’t really that much more expensive than the fence itself. It could be as simple as some wires running paralell to the fence, where vines can crawl and cover to provide a natural touch.
More Elaborate Fence Arbors
Sometimes the look you want just isn’t available using climbing vines. Many types of roses for example look spectacular on arbors, but won’t do much of the climbing themselves. Other times you may want to grow productive plants such as fruits and vegetables. And in many cases, the height of the arbor may limit what types of plants that can grow up high enough to take advantage of it.
Integrating potting areas into the fence or arbor are one way to eliminate these problems and open up a whole range of possibilities. Even plants which can’t stand up under their own weight can be draped across an arbor if they are planted high enough in relation to it.
Not only will this benefit the look of your arbor, it can dramatically help the health of your plant. By being raised off the ground, many of the pests and diseases that could affect the plant will be eliminated from causing any damage! This is one way to grow those tender vegetables and fruits without having to worry so much about spraying pesticides to keep them healthy.
A Sketchup Model of a Fence Arbor Design