Small garden bridges have become an all-time favorite form of garden decor. They add just the right touch that will turn a mediocre garden into something quite splendid.

This small structure is an ancient design that has been used across the ages for foot traffic and decoration, and it goes by many descriptive names: Foot bridge, ornamental bridge, landscape bridges, timber bridge, oriental bridge, Japanese bridge and garden bridge are just a few.

Small garden bridges are gently arched structures that span lengths from 5 feet to 20 feet, and are usually about 3 feet wide. Some bridges feature a flat platform.

The simplest garden bridge is the arched or flat plank structure without hand or side rails. More decorative garden bridges are built with ornamental and functional posts and side rails. Some side rails are specifically designed to protect children and other pedestrians; other side rails are strictly for decoration.

Garden landscaping bridges are not just for large, elaborate gardens. Many gardens that are small in size are large in beauty simply because garden bridges have been added in just the right places. Used over a small stream, rough terrain or even a little pond, bridges can add a wonderful, new dimension to any garden.

With such popularity, small garden bridges are easy to find. Garden centers and home improvement depots carry them, and one of the best places to find and compare garden bridges is online. Most bridges are shipped requiring some assembly.

How To Select Small Garden Bridges

Choosing the right garden bridge is easy with just a little planning. Look at the space you have and decide where a bridge would fit in. Consider more than one area and then choose your favorite. Always measure the area you intend your bridge to span.

When you measure the distance you want an arched garden bridge to reach across, you need to know exactly how long the bridge will span. Measure the actual span length of the distance you wish to cover and not the arch length. Some bridge builders may sell an “8 foot bridge” but it will actually only span about 6 or 7 feet.

Make sure the bridge is made of weather and water resistant wood, or sealed and stained wood. Most small garden bridges are constructed of cedar, teak, pressure treated pine, spruce, redwood, and birch planks and posts. You can also find garden bridges made with an attractive steel frame with wooden planks. The construction of the bridges should also use only stainless steel or galvanized hardware such as bolts, washers, nuts and screws.

Try to find a garden bridge that is very easily assembled with only a few tools required. Find out if the manufacturer numbered and labeled each board, each post and rail – so when it’s time to assemble it, you just match the numbers and put in the screws and tighten.

For Do-It-Yourselfers, building a small garden bridge is a great project. Garden foot bridge plans are always available at the same places you can find the actual bridges for sale.

Small garden bridges can be used in a host of garden and landscape settings. As a foot bridge over a stream, or as a decorative accent through a large flower bed, these simple structures instill a functional and captivating charm.

Copyright 2006 Robert Mosse

The small garden design begins and ends with thoughtful, precise planning. However, small does not mean limited. A small garden design can still deliver a huge “wow” factor.

Small Garden Design: The Problems

A small garden design comes with big challenges. Perhaps your property abuts the two-story blank wall of a neighbor’s townhouse. Maybe the space is all straight lines and right angles. Or you’ve remodeled your home, changed the elevation, added a new room and reduced the size of your backyard, all of which affect the relationship to the existing landscape.

Turning Liabilities into Assets

With small garden design, as with all landscape design, the goal is to create spaces in which the home and architectural elements have a relationship with the yard and surrounding area. First, consider the big picture-your assets and liabilities. Begin by looking at the large, possibly immoveable factors, such as trees, a long fence-line or pool equipment, and decide if they are liabilities or assets. In this way, you test the viability and capacity of the site, a determination that will help clarify your landscape design options. Landscape designers or landscape architects can bring expertise and experience to this process.

Small Garden Design: Features to Consider

? Hardscapes. Decks, patios, pergolas, arbors and gates can be used to help define a small space, break it up or create interest. These choices, in effect, create other rooms. Your material selection adds further texture, thus making the space livelier.

? Water features such as swimming pools or outdoor water fountains. Swimming pools can be custom-made to fit into a small garden design. Also outdoor water fountains can be used to good effect in small gardens. Water features create movement and pleasant sounds, both elements that heighten your enjoyment of a landscape.

? Landscape lighting. Landscape lighting, in particular, can bring an element of drama to a small space. It is good to keep in mind that your landscape is viewed at night for about 30 percent of the time. Since so many people work and don’t come home until after dark, landscape lighting means homeowners can still enjoy their outdoor property, whenever they get home. It turns the landscape into a 24-hour event. Landscape lighting is also very practical as it provides security and nighttime lighting for any tricky steps.

? Infrastructure, like irrigation systems and drainage systems. Irrigation and drainage systems are the work-horses of Houston gardens. Sprinkler systems deliver water to plants during our long, intense summer months and drainage systems take away excess water when we get our infamous torrential rains. They save money, time and worry.

The Heart of Small Garden Design

Jeff Halper, landscape design specialist with Exterior Worlds, says, “The overall objective of any great landscape design, including small garden designs, is to create a space that breathes with the home and has a relationship to its surroundings. It should reflect the client’s visual desires and functionally work together in every aspect.”

Due to the small area available to some homeowners and apartment dwellers, patios and small gardens may seem like a challenge to landscape.

What follows are a few simple tips and strategies designed to maximize space, and help you create a lush and vibrant outdoor living area.

Container Gardening

Examine your patio or small garden, and you will probably see nothing but straight lines and right angles.

One trick used by professional landscapers is to “soften” these lines, or “round” the corners with vines or trees grown in large containers and placed tightly against walls, in corners, or at the edge of patios.

A good rule of thumb is the old adage, “There are no straight lines in nature“. While many people may enjoy a more formal or symmetrical landscape, small gardens tend to benefit from a more natural, less structured design.

Both large and small, containers come in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and designs. By placing a small tree, vine, or flowering shrub, planted in a large container in a corner, and placing around it a variety of smaller plants in pots and containers, you can create a multi-tiered effect with a great deal of texture and color.

In addition, you can achieve the same affect along walls or the edge of a patio.

Imagine a painters canvas, taller objects will stand in the background with progressively shorter objects working their way into the foreground. This creates a sense of depth, and in smaller gardens this can give the illusion of more depth than actually exists.

One method used to create this illusion of depth, is to employ plants with darker foliage (greens or purples) in the background and place plants with multi-colored, or variegated leaves (“variegated” is a horticultural term for plants who’s leaves naturally possess more than one color), or brightly colored flowers in the foreground.

Vines, grown in a large container, and trained to cover walls or a trellis, will allow you to cover large areas of your “canvas” and still maximize space in smaller gardens or patios. This will also serve to soften, the rigid box-like feel of smaller areas.

Also, a small, self-contained fountain, waterfall or pond placed against walls, or in corners, can become a focal point, or point of interest from which to build out from.

Low growing plants with multi-colored foliage (variegated), are excellent choices for small gardens. These types of plants, many possessing leaves with striking reds, creams, and pleasant shades of green all on a single leaf, can add interest, variety, and texture to areas where they are planted.

Many plants referred to as “house-plants” will have variegated foliage or interesting flowers. Most house-plants are native to tropical or semi-tropical regions of the world and in warm-winter areas will do well outside year-round.

Most house-plants tend to be shade-loving and so do best in shade gardens or beneath larger plantings. In regions with heavy frost or snow, you will need to bring the plant indoors until the weather warms again.

Dwarf varieties of trees are an excellent choice for large pots or ground planting in small gardens.

There are literally hundreds of fruiting or flowering dwarf varieties available to the home gardener. Many will also possess leaves with interesting shapes, patterns, or colors, that are sure to add interest and variety to any landscape.

Patio Trees: The term, Patio Tree, is used to describe trees that are generally small, as trees go, and are also quite attractive at close range. Their branches will not shed annoying quantities of leaves, or drop messy fruit that will litter, or stain patio surfaces.

In addition, all will have “tame” root systems that do well in large containers, or if planted in the ground will not crack pavement or greedily take water and nutrients from surrounding plants.

Finally, fragrant herbs and low-growing plants with colorful flowers make good choices for containers in small gardens. (e.g., Gardenias, Lavender, Jasmine).

Tips on planting in containers

When planting in containers, remember that the root system, cannot search beyond the container for food and water. This means the plant will be totally dependent on the nutrients and water you provide.

Remember to always use a good quality potting soil, and add an appropriate amount of granulated or slow-release fertilizer when planting.

All plants grown in containers will over time, need an application of a good quality liquid fertilizer. Also, when planting in containers, pack the potting soil in tightly to ensure there are no air pockets, or voids that could harm the roots.

Finally, always choose a container with drainage holes in the bottom. Without good drainage, fertilizer salts will build up in the soil and can then harm the plant.

Container gardening is an excellent way to maximize space, and enliven
small gardens or patios.

A wide array of plants suitable for container culture are available to the home gardener, and with a little care and planning are sure to enrich any outdoor living space.

The types of patio trees available to you will depend upon which area or region of the country you live in. Some options include:

Acer (Maple): Patio types are: Acer buergeranum (Trident Maple), A. cercinatum (Vine Maple), A. davidii (David’s Maple), A. palmatum (Japanese Maple).

Lagerstroemia Indica (Crepe Myrtle): with attractive foliage and large clusters of flowers that can range in color from pink to cranberry to a deep or hot red depending upon variety.

Magnolias: available in many regions both hot and cool, have showy displays of tulip to saucer-shaped flowers with a wide selection of colors.

Prunus: (Flowering Cherry) (Flowering Plum).

Dwarf Citrus: such as lemon, lime or orange, make good additions to small gardens and tend to hold their fruit for many months.

Good Luck and Happy Gardening! ]]> http://www.sprucehavenfarms.com/small-garden/how-to-landscape-patios-and-small-gardens/index.html/feed 0