Entrance Landscape Design
An entrance gate should keep your yard private but open.
Well-planned landscapes contain the right combination of private and open space. Visually and literally, a fence and gate transforms a space into a private area, and depending on its height, location and screening, this physical barrier also provides the security of keeping your children and pets in and unwanted intruders out. To design a residential entry way take several factors into consideration.
Points of View
Before designing your entrance, consider several points of view. A front entrance takes into consideration the point of view from the street: curb appeal. It gives you, as well as anyone else that looks at your home, an instant opinion of what is beyond the gate. The point of view from inside the yard, from the gate towards the street is also important. If the view includes a neighbors trash can or an old car, you may want to add an arbor gate with flowing vines to soften the scenery.
Plant Selection
Walk around your front yard and identify areas that could potentially function as an entryway. Try to evaluate traffic patterns, the location of your front door and determine the easiest way to get from point A to point B. If you are not tied in to a specific location for your gate, another design consideration is the mature plants you already have. Trees, shrubs and bushes take a long time to mature, so if you are blessed with healthy, vibrant plants, do all you can to design your entrance gate around them. This could also save you a considerable amount of money.
Get Your Plan on Paper
Even if you can keep your entrance gate design plan in your head, it’s still important to get it down on paper, particularly if someone is helping with the design or installation. Mistakes that would easily show up on a landscape design plan may not become glaring in reality until after the work is completed. Evaluate the proposed site, confirm that you are working within your property line and make sure your design is approved, if necessary, by a home owner’s association or through local building code administrators.
Implementing Your Plan
Now that you have chosen the right gate, the right gate posts or fence material to attach the gate to, the proper hardware to install the gate, the plants and the gate location, all you need to do is implement the plan. By the time all things are considered, the scope of your plan should be reviewed for inaccuracies or problems. Implement the tasks in a logical order to install the gate and then the landscaping should be done in phases to make sure you’re happy with the results.
