Garden Arches are available in various heights and widths, fabricated from timber or metal, they can be used as a focal point or centrepiece to offer visual interest as well as providing a practical as well as decorative enhancement to the landscape.
They can be placed over a path, in the middle of a lawn or in a flowerbed, or positioned between separate parts of the garden to create a handsome connection. Arches can also be placed next to a hedge or fence to form structure similar to a pergola.
So there are plenty of alternative uses and your arch can be transformed by the addition of climbing plants such as colourful and scented roses or honeysuckle. These can be planted in the ground or adjacent containers and left to clamber over the lattice sides and roof.
A gentle breeze during the summer, or alternatively someone brushing past or through the arch if it straddles a path, will ensure that the immediate area fills with fragrance, and the arch will be enveloped with colour throughout the summer if an astute choice of climbers are planted.
Arches can also be painted to increase their impact and they can blend successfully with various different landscapes, accommodating fresh ways of looking at garden design and lending themselves to gardens which are as diverse as rustic or contemporary in outlook.
Timber arches can be up to 10ft tall with the majority between 7ft and 9ft, widths vary from 3ft – 9ft with 4ft – 5ft being the most popular. Most are made from timber but metal arches made from steel will add their own elegance to any garden.
High arches make fabulous focal points and centrepieces, they are substantial features around which a garden can be designed. especially when decorated by flowers and foliage. Wide arches are perfect for paths and entrances that lead you perhaps from an ornamental to a kitchen garden.
All arches should be an attractive presence in your garden for many years, pressure treated timber is resistant to rot and decay and frequently carries a 15 year guarantee while the high quality steel used in metal arches has a tough powder coated which is very durable.
A gently arched top is naturally the most common attribute, although there are a few that are apex and many arches benefit from a flat roof. Particularly the latter style, when covered with robust battens, resemble a pergola in their appearance.
There are also contemporary arches that don't have a roof! The Whitby Arch from Forest is the shape of elephant tusks resting against each other, and Freestanding Flower Circles from Grange consist of two rings connected by steel rods, a series of which will create an archway of circles.
Metal arches tend to be gracefully slender as they hark back to Victorian wrought iron work. Burbage and Rowlinson are two manufacturers who carry on this tradition, some of their arches boast elaborate decoration while the Abbey Rose Arch has an obvious Gothic influence.
Arches are a perfect mix of decoration and practicality, there's a huge range of styles and prices, and they are designed and manufactured by all the leading garden structure brands, so you won't be disappointed with the product or the effect the arch has on your garden.