Gates and Gardens

On my last few walks around James Bay I have been looking at gates. In some ways, they are an unsung aspect of garden landscaping. Yet they are part of the subtle appeal of a house and garden. An attractive gate invites the viewer to look more closely at the overall aesthetic appeal of the front yard and house - and there are many such gates in this area!

Here is but a small taste of what I have come across in recent amblings. There is quite the diversity of style.

First, there are arched wooden gates:

The repetition of the gate design and the porch roof adds symmetry and an understated, quiet simplicity

Then there are wooden gates with horizontal cross pieces overhead:

And there are wooden gates with pitched roofs:

Note that this fence incorporates bamboo.

And wrought iron gates:

Here the gate is totally decorative, removed from its function of providing access to an enclosed space.

And wooden gates that are part of the overall fence design:

The designs on this fence flow with designs in the stained glass of the house's front door. And, although hard to see in this image, there are pieces of stained glass incorporated into the fence.

Custom-decorated with a sign of the times

There are so many different aesthetics expressed in the gate designs I found. I love the wide range of colours, shapes and materials.

I am intrigued by the interplay of the gate, the fence, and the yard space they enclose. As an advocate of reducing the amount of lawn grass in our yards, and replacing it with alternatives such as native plants, perennials, shrubs, and vegetable beds, I am always interested to see examples that explore this challenge.

Here are a few I noticed:

A curved footpath, plants in pots and in perennial beds, and driftwood. The white on the ground is cherry blossom.

A dense assortment of perennials. The casual fence looked to be poplar. 

A variety of plantings, all appearing to be perennial. 

A couple of very large rocks added interest to this front  yard.

A relatively small space, planted with shrubs and perennials.

Another front yard without any grass!

Another example of curving walkway, perennial beds and shrubbery.

Such a feast for the eyes!

The examples above feature landscaping using perennial plantings - but there are few examples of the use of native plants in front yards. And native plants are so important for habitat, to help native birds and insects.

In my future wanderings I will set an objective for finding good examples of landscaping with native plants; I will report back!

I never tire of walking the streets of this area, and the variety of gates, fences and front yards is one of the reasons.