Elegant Archways: The garden arbor in its glory
The archway of an arbor invites visitors to a front door. Cascading vines hanging from a graceful structure add beauty to an entranceway. Arbors come in many styles and can be made of wood, iron, fiberglass, and even twigs. There is a wide selection of vines that flourish on arbors in our Louisiana climate.
An arbor is a garden structure that gives shade and is used for growing plants. It is derived from the Latin word for tree. In many ways an arbor resembles a small tree. An official Arbor Day was established in Nebraska in 1885. This day was set aside for the planting of trees to provide shade. Arbor Day is now celebrated all over the world on the last Friday of April.
An arbor can be as simple as two posts with a trellis top. It basically has three dimensions, as opposed to a trellis which is one flat panel. If the structure of an arbor is repeated in several rows in a colonnade fashion, it is called a pergola; if several sides are added to it, then it is called a gazebo. Because of the simplicity of an arbor’s design, it can be used to stage different settings in a garden. It can be used to frame a portal leading from one garden space to another, as a backdrop to a garden wall for a seating area, as a planter in the middle of a garden for growing flowering vines, or even as a screen to create a privacy wall. It can be used as a structure to hide drip tubes for watering plants or for housing roof-mounted mist machines. Light fixtures can also be hidden away in the beams of an arbor.
Benches can be built into the structure support of an arbor creating cozy nooks for reflection in the garden. This same design can be expanded to create an entire wall with a series of built in seats. Panels of lattice framing the seats make a spectacular setting.
A wall fountain is well defined when framed with an arbor. This can add a strong focal point to a garden. The plantings of flowering vines such as pink mandevilla or a vibrant purple bougainvillea will add height and lush color to this setting.
Even a vegetable garden takes on a new art form when enhanced with the addition of an arbor. Resembling a tree, a freestanding arbor as a single pole structure can be used to grow clinging vines of cucumbers, string beans, and tomatoes. This design should be a series of columns arranged across a framed bed thus creating an illusion of a glorious passageway through a cornucopia of cascading vegetables.
The most graceful use of an arbor is at the entranceway to a home. The classical arched top design offers a romantic curve for climbing morning glories or wild passion flower vines. Climbing by tendrils, the passion flower is a vigorous vine that can quickly adorn the archway. The addition of a gate can add a finishing touch to the passageway. The structure however should be at least six feet eight inches tall and at least four feet wide (the same size as a standard door).
Entranceway arbors can also have peaked or flat roofs. These types of roofs are more open than the arch design. The flat roof style is the easiest to construct. The top layer has pairs of pressure-treated two by three boards that have notched ends. The peak roof is framed with angled rafters that are created with equally spaced two by two boards that are beveled on the outside edges. An arched top is constructed from double thickness of two by twelve boards cut into arcs and then nailed together.
Concrete footings are highly recommended when constructing an arbor. This will prevent it from falling down if it is accidentally hit. The side posts are usually made with four by four posts that are bridged with two by twos. Lattice panels added to the sides of the structure provide an elegant detail and a perfect growing plane for flowering vines.
Adorning an arbor with flowering vines completes the picture of beauty. There are many wonderful vines to choose from that grow well in the rich soil of our region. The Clerodendrum or Bleeding Heart Glorybower vine has twining stems that can reach up to twelve feet tall. It blossoms in the late summer with clusters of white buds and three-lobed red flower centers. The many fragrant varieties of jasmine are favorite choices for passageways as they provide a dreamy perfumed scent to the summer air. Jasmines grow best if they are provided a latticework on which to climb. These lush vines create a cover of green foliage in one season. The glory of old roses is hard to beat as a choice of a climbing vine. The hybrid tea rose flowers repeatedly throughout the season offering a welcome halo of color upon the arbor. Wisteria revels in the spring with its blooms of violet grape-like flowers. It is a fast growing vine that provides thick shade throughout the year. However, wisteria stalks can take over a structure and crush it over time. This vine is best planted on a metal arbor that can withstand its powerful grip.
Twig arbors are a charm to a garden and they are easy to construct. Pieces of all vines and roots are tied together to create an archway entrance. This delicate pathway can be expanded to create a tunnel woven with leafy vines. Often seen in rustic settings, building a twig arbor is a fun project for a summer day.
The placement of an arbor on a pathway to a home creates a graceful entrance. Flowing vines with cascading flowers transform a landscape into a magical setting. ✦
