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Inspiration: Garden Arbors

Is it just me or do you also pull out your camera when you see an archway in a garden?

It's so alluring, the way the view is framed, the trailing vines, flowers and the invitation to step through to the other side.

Archways or Arbors have been delighting gardeners for hundreds of years and even the most modest backyard is enhanced with a nice Arbor.


Enjoy this collection and see if you feel inspired to add one to your garden.

Below: What a magical focal point created with the understated white gate and rounded hedges in the distance.

When designing anything in the garden, plan for the future not just for the now.


It is tempting to make your dimensions based on what feels right now, but as every good gardener knows, plants get bigger with time, trees get bigger... everything takes up more space.


Left: This stunning arch is now well covered by a climbing rose making the entry path a lot narrower than first anticipated, especially when growing roses with thorns which will see your visitors doing a sideways dance to avoid them.


A good rule of thumb is to create your Arbor at least 1.2m wide. By the time the plants grow, they will use up 200mm either side even when kept trimmed, leaving you a nice 800mm opening to pass through without becoming entangled.

Does it need to be timber?

I personally love seeing great timberwork created by craftspeople taking pride in the finished result, but it does take a significant amount of time and therefor cost.


Right: This picturesque white Arbow may look the same as the examples above, but instead of being made of timber, it is actually PVC (like the downpipes on your home)

PVC lasts really well outdoors and can be molded into just about any shape.


On rural propertys near our home we are seeing white post and rail timber fences being replaced with PVC versions because they arent susceptible to termites. I haven't yet seen these more detailed designs of Arbors available though.

We have been considering whether this would be a good product for Aussie Gardener to bring to market.  Leave a comment below if you would be keen to see this available.

Treated Pine or Hardwood?

Most outdoor timber work in Australia is made with Treated Pine.

Australia has a lot of hungry termites that will devour untreated wood without you even knowing. Don't ever use untreated pine in the garden.  

The advantage with using treated pine is that termites avoid it, it's easy to cut, lightweight, fairly low cost and readily available.

It doesn't age as nicely as hardwood, but once painted can look very similar.


Some arbors are made from Hardwood which gives it a nice solid look and ages to a lovely silver/grey colour.

Termites will generally avoid hardwood as it's hard to chew, but it is still susceptible to gradual rotting if in contact with wet ground. The use of metal stirrups into concrete solves this issue. Just be sure to use the style that hides the stirrup in a slit down the centre of the post. Stirrups serve a function but are best unseen!

A hardwood timber gateway can last for many years without any chemical treatment

Using Steel stirrups into concrete greatly extends their life as the timber is kept away from the moist ground.

A painted treated pine arbor down in Bowral (a beautiful town to visit!) Even on a rainy day it made us stop the car for photo.

How stunning does this red rose look against the fresh white of the arbor. In the background is a small statue that provides the focal point when you look through the archway.

Dont make this mistake!

If you are going to create a beautiful Arbor which visitors will be drawn to... make sure the view on the other side doesn't disappoint.


It doesn't have to be much, a small statue, a feature tree or just a path that winds off into the distance.


Good garden design is about creating these beautiful vistas that are 'satisfying' for the viewer.


You will know you've got it right when they smile and pull out their phone to record the magical moment.

Dont be too quick to buy an archway in a box!

Why don't we see more nice arbors in Australia?

Here is a prime example of misleading advertising that is common in Australia.


A beautiful rose covered archway which would be a treasure in any garden.

The metal arch being sold though is weak, rusting metal tube that ends up falling over and being thrown out in the next council cleanup.

It's frustrating to see the low quality of products being promoted by our major hardwares. Why cant we have some good quality options too?


Surely not everyone wants 'cheapest' all the time. Perhaps a $500 arbor or even a $1000 arbor if available would be of interest to gardeners wanting something that will last for 20 years, not 2 months. That is what true sustainability is...


As part of our company values at Aussie Gardener we focus on bringing out products that dont end up with reviews like we see above from disappointed customers. When we test new products, we reject many that often look good in the pack, but fail not long after. We would rather not launch a new product, than bring something out that will only end up in the rubbish bin. This somewhat unique approach is reinforced by over 17,000 customer reviews across our website and a very high star rating given. Something we are very proud of.


Growing a beautiful garden takes time and patience and anything that is going to be used outdoors also needs to be able to withstand that time and weather conditions. If you are inspired to create a special arbor in your garden, be sure to make it with materials that will last well outdoors. It may cost more, but when you split it over the many years of joy you will receive, it really is not that expensive afterall.


Brian :-)