Adding height, or specifically arches, is a go-to design trick loved by professional garden designers. Instantly lifting the gaze, adding shape and form plus subtly dividing up a plot, they can work miracles in transforming the plainest of yards.
Take this simple design tip one step further and slot two or three inexpensive arches into successive raised beds and you will have a swoon-worthy botanical walkway, that will not only dazzle throughout the year but provide endless planting and outdoor lighting opportunities too.
Just one of many raised bed garden ideas to try, this outdoor project takes very little time, effort and outlay to achieve.
Why This Simple Garden Upgrade Works
Introducing vertical accents into any landscape will instantly draw attention. Whether it is a lone tree, simple structure or figurative sculpture, any upright will interrupt the horizontal flow of the land, visually link the ground to the sky above all while demanding closer scrutiny.
Garden arches spanning raised beds, work exactly the same way. They instantly add height while visually balancing angular raised beds, plus they entice viewers to walk through them and explore the framed area beyond.
This simple rounded carbon steel arch from Amazon, is perfect for creating your own botanical tunnel. Add two, three or more into aligned raised beds, so they span the central path, ready to support your choice of climbing plants.
Consider Size And Scale
Proportions matter when it comes to choosing a garden arch, as Landscape Design Expert, Gerardo Loayza describes.
'A constant mistake I see people making is buying a standard 7 ft arch because they are 5 ft 8 in and they think it's plenty of room, but then they forget the sag of the plants, heavy vines, hanging plants, drooping tomatoes. They'll easily hang 12 to 18 in down from the top of the arch.'
He also notes, 'You need an absolute minimum of 8 ft clearance; otherwise, you're going to be ducking or taking a squash to the face every time you walk through. Also, don't forget that if you mount an 8 ft arch inside a 2 ft tall raised bed, your walking clearance is suddenly only 5 ft.'
Choose The Right Style Arch For A Plant Covered Walkway
Creating a plant covered walkway from pre-formed arches is a smart and stylish way to transform raised beds. With so many products to choose from, you can tailor the result to suit personal preferences.
'When it comes to materials for an arch, it really depends on what you want to stare at in the off-season,' Gerardo advises. 'If you go with a thick cedar or oak, this acts as permanent architecture and brings heavy visual weight. Then there are the thin metals, which can practically vanish against the background. It lets climbing vines be the absolute star of the show.'
Key styles of garden arch include:
Gothic arches tend to have a tall, narrow and gracefully pointed outline and can make a theatrical statement when paired with sultry lavished tones, whether its the petals of a velvety purple clematis such as Sweet Summer Love or deep crimson Munstead Wood Rose both from Burpee.
Rounded designs - like this wooden one from Lowe's - have a traditional feel and work particularly well with romantic climbing roses, such as David Austin's Generous Gardener from Heirloom Roses.
For a delicate touch try this Monet Metal Arch from Walmart - the fine wirework panels are perfect for slender stemmed sweet peas including lilac Leamington from Premier Seeds Direct.
Straight topped arches create a contemporary statement and are amongst the defining features of a Japanese garden.
Planting A Botanical Walkway With A Difference
Creating a plant covered walkway in your yard, can prove a magical point and place to wander through, but these transitional spaces don't have to be swathed in perfumed roses or tumbling trumpet vine. Instead why not use the opportunity to grow edible or ornamental crops, increasing your plot's productivity and nourishing the family too.
'An arch changes a raised bed from a flat planting strip into productive growing space, giving you more growing room without needing more square footage because you’re stacking bloom and fruit overhead instead of spreading wider,’ says plant expert Laura Coggan.
‘For an edible option, Taste of Heaven™ thornless blackberry turns an arch into a harvest feature, and in warm climates Nancy Garrison passion fruit adds dramatic flowers and fruit on the same support. Luffa Gourd is another smart choice because the vines shade the arch in summer and the mature gourds give you a useful harvest at the end of the season.’
For more climbing edimentals try these:
Mix bold colored peas and beans - for a productive summer veg tunnel try Heirloom Purple Podded Peas with yellow Monte Gusto Pole Bean seeds, both Burpee.
Add a sculptural crop - with patty pan squash, such as Burpee's Sunburst Squash , zucchini including quirky Trombonchino, seeds from Amazon or curvy Birdhouse gourd, seeds from Amazon
Make the most of a hot, sunny spot - by growing grapes. Ideal for training over a series of arches, there are plenty of different use varieties to choose from at Burpee.
For a tropical feel - try prolific vines with ornamental foliage and fruit, such as the fragrant Maypops passionflower plant from Burpee or Cucamelon, seeds available from Amazon.
Making Your Arch Safe And Secure
Ensuring newly erected garden arches are safe, secure and unable to be dislodged by people, pets or dramatic weather conditions is hugely important.
Where most arches can be sunk directly into the soil the extra height gained by placing them into raised beds can make them particularly vulnerable to toppling. This is especially true when climbing plants are in full leaf and caught in strong winds.
To be doubly sure they remain secure, consider fixing each arch upright directly to the raised bed.
Methods to consider include:
Screw horizontally through each arch upright into the inner side of the raised bed.
Slot a metal ground spike onto each arch foot and drive into the ground to create a firm anchor
Set the base of each arch in concrete or similar, below the soil level of your raised bed. Postloc from Amazon is a fast-setting concrete alternative.
If you are impressed with how a garden arch can transform your outside space, then explore other design tips and tasks such as how to put up a wall trellis. You can also plan ahead by knowing the 5 best climbers to plant in May.
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