Arbors, Trellis, and Gates

Traditioanlly, arbors and pergolas are the structures you can walk under (think grape arbor), and trellises are for holding up a vine (and climbing up to reach the second story window). But they are also used to frame a view, to screen the neighbors, to lead you to a destination. Gates, arbors, trellises and fencing are used in the landscape as art or to make a statement about a garden theme or to invoke a feeling. We have placed arbors in our designs for grapes, but just don't happen to have any photos of them; all you'd see is grape leaves.

An artist's rendition of our Trellis Screen

Art Screen

Christine designs these amazing metal screens.

Asian Influence

Cedar screen is low, offsetting the rock garden in this asian influenced, low maintenance front yard. Plants behind it will enhance the landscape.

Cattail Gate

Cedar gate with cattails carved out hides the compost area. Randy Wooley of Cedarscapes designed and built the gate.

Entry Pergola with Metal Ivy

This pergola separates the driveway from the entryway, frames the front door and guides people to the front door. An artist created copper ivy to "grow" up the posts.

Metal Gate

The metal gate is reflecting the limbs of the Rhododendron (yes, that's an old Rhododendron trunk).

Mid Century Redo

The metal gate moved with Carolyn from a stucco house to a mid century house. The gate works in both places, but the metal structure (based on Japanese tori design) helps it fit into the era of the house.

Cedar Arbor

Shade trellis offers shade as well as some privacy from a two story looming house beyond.

Mid Century Entry

The new entry pergola gives a new front seating area some dimension, strength and shade.

Modern Metal Arbor

Christine designed this to give the front of the house a little pop. She was going to have a plant grow up it, but decided the art work stood on it's own

Open Pergola

What's this for? It doesn't offer shade or cover but the bottom of the hill needed more than a flat patio. The structure calls to be seen, to be a destination. In England it might be called a folly

Patio Cover

It's not a trellis, pergola or arbor but a totally functional patio cover with double wall polycarbonate as the roof. It allows sunlight through without the harmful sun rays.

Wattle Fence & Pergola

A structure can be used to indicate a change in the landscape. In this case it separates the working garden from the ornamental garden.

Cedar Screen

The cedar screen keeps soaking tub disrobers from possible neighbor views.

Tranquility Gate

A decorative gate clues the viewer to a garden theme or feeling. The Chinese symbol is tranquility.

Asian style entry

Backyards

Relaxing pond, yellow hued blooms, flagstone and pavers all come together

J's house I. Seat wall and water feature in narrow backyard

J's house II. Covered flagstone patio. Cover is constructed from double wall polycarbonate (green house glass) to let light in but keep harmful sun rays out

Tour through Carolyn's urban yard

Gregg House 1. Wind through the natural paths

Gregg House 2. Stucco wall with water fountain. The wall starts at six feet high and tapers down to two feet. Adds some privacy.

Gregg House III. Seat wall, flagstone patio

Gregg house IV. Shade garden with seat wall, cedar fence and gate. Hydrangea, Chamaecyparis, Astilbe, Thalictrum

Gregg House V. Just around the corner is a very small Sunny area

Hillside House I. Patio structure

Hillside House II. Retaining wall steps, large boulders

Backyard Arbor separates the ornamental garden from the vegetable garden

River House Before

River House Phase I After. Flagstone, seatwall, masonry retaining wall

River House Phase II Before

River House Phase II After

Country House Before

Country House After I. Flagstone path to front entry

Country House After II. Keeping the old wood stump gives the bed some character.

Country House After III. Drought tolerant blooms all summer long. (A touch of Oehme and Van Sweden)

Country House IV. Fire pit tucked into the landscape. Boulders for sitting and flagstone patio.

Shade Arbor is the in between visual step from tall house to flagstone patio.

Paver Patio with Fire Pit

Sloping yard before

Sloping yard after

My client wanted her yard to remind her of the mediterranean. She already had a few palms and Italian Cypress. Most of the grass is removed and a more formal look is created with paths lined with lavander.

Sloping yard second angel

Retaining Walls/After

Adding retaining walls created some drama and interest. There's a seat wall at the top of the stairs and a path to travel from end of the yard to the other.

Retaining Walls create paradise

Adding retaining walls made the space look bigger. The floor textures create movement, with the use of lawn, pavers, river rock and crushed gravel in lesser travelled paths

Fire Pits

Natural Style Fire Pit

Off the Shelf Fire Pit

Concrete block Fire Pit

Front Yards

Courtyard trellis gives sense of privacy and an added touch to the front of the house.

Before. Right in the front yard, this brand new house was confronted with the county-placed retaining blocks half way through construction.

After. Here's the lemonade we designed to help ease the pain of the giant blocks.

Front yard entry into the landscape lets the viewer know there must be something good beyond the gate.

New modern house. Planters match the siding that wraps around the bottom of the house. Plants are drought tolerant.

Before, suburban house

After I, Suburban house. Drought tolerant, no lawn. Carolyn was helping during installation when a neighbor drove by and rolled down her window. "What are you doing?" she asked, "Everyone else here has grass."

After II, suburban house. Gate gives a hint of what's within

Mid Century Before

Mid Century After I

Mid Century After II

Vancouver Before. The shrubs cover up the house, the entry is buried.

Vancouver After I.

Vancouver After II. Stone walls define a sitting area and entry is set off by an entry pergola

Vancouver Entry III. Front yard sitting area with flagstone, masonry walls and water feature.

Vancouver Entry IV. Stepping stones over the pond

Portland Before. The walkway was really narrow, the white birch were diseased and the narrow porch was hemmed in by the white railing.

Portland After, Phase I. Railing and trees were removed. A wider, more modern walkway was installed.

Portland After II. A pondless water feature is added.

Portland After Phase II. The plants are filling in after the first year.

Snazzy metal trellis jazzes up the front porch

Before Brick House

Brick House After, Phase I

Brick House After Phase I

Brick House After Phase II

Pergola Entry I

Pergola Entry II

Pergola Entry III

Front entry gains a modern clean look. Christine's art trellis gives the pathway view a stopping point and screens out the neighbors house.

Newish House Before

Newish House After. She was tired of lawn and wanted an update

Creating an Asian influenced entry with hardscape and plantings

Walls

Walls in the landscape are primarily used to retain earth, but there are also seat walls, dividers and privacy screens.

Masonry wall. Each stone was cut to fit

Ledgestone was perfect for the short retaining wall

Dimensional Stone placed on CMU block

Seatwall with flagstone wrap

Stucco seatwall

Stucco water wall, from 6' tall running down to 2' tall

Water Features

Water features can be open ponds or pondless, with water underground. They all offer the refreshing sound of water which can help mask neighborhood sounds or help keep conversations private. Pondless water features can be less maintenance but lack the reflection effect.