By Katie Lamar Jackson | March 2007

• Intro
• Function vs. Form
• The Technical Aspects
• Download the FULL article as a

Function vs. Form

In researching my dream gate plan, the first thing I learned was that a garden gate needs to be functional as well as beautiful. If you are thinking of a gate for your own garden space, ask yourself the following questions. Does the gate need to keep animals—four-legged, three-legged or even two-legged—in or out? Does it need to be lockable to keep little two-legged critters from trespassing or escaping? Or, is its function more art than utility? Could it simply be an open arbor that defines an entryway, or does it need to provide a screen of privacy for your garden space? Does it need to match an existing fence or landscape design? And are there neighborhood rules and regulations that may dictate your gate style choices?

Answering these questions in advance allows you to choose a gate style that is appropriate for your needs. Once you have an idea of the use and style of gate you want, it’s time to get into the details. One good idea I ran up on in my research is to take pictures of the garden or landscape from all sides and angles, including views from the house where the gate might be visible. My source suggests that black and white photos are better than color photos because black and white helps spot assets and flaws in the location or landscape design without the distraction of color.

Once you have picked the perfect spot of the gate, sketch a picture of your dream gate adding any details you may want to include, such as whimsical touches of lattice, stained glass, woodwork, metal embellishments or paint. And think about what you want to plant around the gate, such as climbing roses or other vines or shrubs that will compliment the design. If you’re drawing impaired, collect photos of garden gates from magazines and books and use those as your blueprints.

Garden gates can be made of almost anything, from bamboo to metal, wood to PVC or chicken wire (though it may take a special creative flair to make the chicken wire and PVC aesthetically pleasing) to simply an airy entryway with side posts but no real gate at all.

Some people use recycled materials or pieces of old barn wood for their gates, or reuse antique wood or metal gates that they found at yard sales or antique and junk stores. Others have wood or metal artists design and create one-of-a-kind gates. Still others take the do-it-yourself route and build their own using pre-packaged garden gate plans or their own design-build talents. The options are limited only by your budget, talents and style needs.