A Garden Arbor is a Beautiful Addition to Your Yard or Garden

White arbor with bench and trellis is the perfect entry way into the rose garden

A phenomenal addition to any yard or garden area, arbors can not only be used to increase the visual appeal of an outdoor area, they can also be useful for your climbing plant choices. They can also be quite practical by provide a garden feature like a gate, bench or just a shady spot in your garden.

Choosing the perfect garden arbor can be a lot fun but you can get a little overwhelmed on the different choices and different materials available. Before you start looking at the different arbor designs it is a good idea to understand what you want your arbor to do and what material you want your arbor made of.

This article will provide information on the three different materials used in arbor construction.

Plastic Arbor

When you go to any department or discount store, you will probably see a large selection of plastic garden arbors. A plastic arbor is often very inexpensive, and while it can be a stunning addition to your garden at first, the drawback with plastic arbors is that they often aren’t durable enough to last more than a season.

They can fade and become weathered easily, especially if you live in an area where weather extremes are the norm. A plastic arbor can, however, be a good selection if you are unsure whether or not you want an arbor in your garden area. It can be an inexpensive, and easy, way to see how an arbor will make your space look.

Vinyl Arbor

A vinyl arbor is similar to a plastic one, but they are usually design to last a lot longer and for this reason they are more expense. They provide a worry free maintenance and will last a long time. The selection of these arbors use to be limited but you will now find a good selection available.

Metal Arbor

One of the most classic materials for an arbor, metal offers the durability you need. With a timeless appearance, hundreds of metal arbors are added to gardens worldwide each year. The drawback with metal, though, is it is often expensive. Moreover, because of their overall weight, they can be quite heavy. But once it is in place it is not moving.

When most people think of metal arbors they think of wrought iron, but another metal that makes a great arbor is copper. This can be more expensive but it does have a very nice look to it.

Wood Arbor

Wooden garden arbors are also beautiful, and they have the benefit of being able to last much longer than plastic. It is also easy to construct your own wooden arbor to fit your own size needs. With a good design and a bit of time, adding a wooden arbor to your garden can make a serious impact. Many choose to paint their wooden arbors to match their homes. If you would rather have your arbor stained, make sure that you seal it to protect the wood from rain or other weather damage. Should you choose wood, you have two basic options: arched arbors and square arbors.

An arched arbor is beautiful, and many tend to choose the arched design because they feel it offers a more traditional appearance. In reality, many classic arbors were in the square design for the simple fact that it was more difficult to arch wood many years ago. An arched design will flow well if you have a number of natural arches in your home and garden, but they can be a bit more difficult to build if you are creating your own.

A square arbor is often chosen by the novice builder due to the fact that it is easier to build. They can be simple, with a top and some sides that are designed with straight lines, or more complex, with an arch built inside of the square design. Arbors can even have gates attached to them, making them the perfect entrance to any front or backyard.

It doesn’t matter whether you want an arched garden arbor or a square one, or whether you choose plastic, metal, or wood, a garden arbor is a beautiful and inexpensive addition to any home or garden. It can also be the perfect project to complete on a weekend or to do together as a family.

For more information, please check out the following articles:

Photo gallery of arbors and pergolas

Information on garden arbors with gates