Ornamental Gates

Our gates have a bad case of the blahs. What can Exterior Worlds suggest for them?
A pitch-perfect garden entryway can enliven the overall landscape design, especially when it complements the style of your home. Garden gates can be used as focal points, a visual technique that brings the landscape design into focus and gives it definition. By directing the eye and giving it a place to rest, ornamental garden gates can be used to break up an over-sized yard by placing one in the near distance and along the fence line.
Here are some other ideas we’d like to suggest:

• A fresh eye-catching color that demands attention.
• A material that reflects a choice made within the house, such as wrought iron gating that matches the interior’s wrought iron staircase railing.
• Landscape lighting not only provides secure entry, but also makes for an interesting interplay of shadow and light.

What are the best materials to use for gating?
Cedar and redwood are good choices for gating material in Houston’s climate. In particular, cedar is a likely option because it wears well and is resistant to insects—plus, Houston landscape designers like to use it to provide that “Texas” look. Bamboo and rattan are also sturdy enough for this area. Somewhat less expensive than wood, they work really well in a Japanese garden or modern landscape design.

If you like to mix textures, we’d like to offer the idea of using both wood and painted aluminum. Other clients have asked us to custom-build fences around antique garden gates they’ve purchased elsewhere, adding an unexpected element to an ordinary fence. As a security measure, you can always put a one across the driveway. When used in this capacity, they are most often made of iron, aluminum, or wood.

Are there any plants that work particularly well with such decorative entryways?
Plants can make them more inviting. When combined with a garden arbor or other hardscape, the effect can be stunning. Plant suggestions for the Houston area:

• Crossvine is an evergreen that blooms heavily in spring.
• The Mexican flame vine is aptly named with yellow and orange flowers that come out in the fall.
• Butterfly pea puts out blue flowers annually around June.
• Mandevilla and allamanda put out large, fragrant flowers in pink, red, white and yellow.

Are there any design considerations that we should know about?
When we put in fencing and gating, we like to hide them in the landscape as much as possible. You can do it with good landscape design. For example, a fence that cordons off a pool area can be woven among shrubs, making it safe, up to code and aesthetically pleasing.

You also need to take into account Houston’s expansive soil. If your gating comes with a knob, eventually the locking mechanism may not line up properly because the ground has shifted. A garden arch over the gating can serve as a frame that keeps the gating square and plumb with the knob’s receiving plate.