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One Sweet Arbor

Southern Living, May 2006 by Bender, Steve

A vine-covered entry makes this home and garden stand out.

It's amazing how a single addition can produce a dramatic result. Case in point-the home of Tommy and Melinda Ford in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Their front lawn used to run straight to the street, just like the yards of their neighbors. But by adding a fence and entry arbor, they turned open space into an inviting place.

Charleston landscape architect Robert Chesnut convinced the Fords that they could transform their yard into an outdoor room by giving it a sense of enclosure. The new fence and arbor did just that.

Taking the Tour

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As you exit your car in front of the home, you step onto a strip of fine granite gravel. The change in material from that of the street gives this home its own identity. It has a practical use too. It looks attractive, can take compaction from feet and cars, and has a softer feel and appearance than either concrete or asphalt.

Details Make the Difference

As with every successful project, attention to detail really paid off. For example, most fences and gates run together in a straight line. But here, the fence takes a turn near both sides of the gate and arbor so that the structures are recessed into the yard about 3 feet. This means that you step onto the front walk before you reach the gate, providing a heightened sense of arrival.

Next, note how the peaked beams of the arbor echo the roofline of the house. The graceful arc of the gate frames a view of the colorful window boxes behind it.

Nice Treat

Anyone familiar with the Deep South should instantly recognize the vine growing on the arbor: Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides). Hardy in all but the Upper and Middle South, this fast-growing climber combines handsome evergreen foliage with extremely fragrant, white flowers in late spring and early summer. What better way to welcome visitors than with a bower of sweet flowers?

The fence, gate, and arbor are built from pressure-treated pine. The pickets are 4 feet tall, and the fenceposts measure 4 feet, 6 inches. The arbor stands 8 feet tall at its corners and 12 feet at its peak.

Moral of the Story

This landscape shows that amazing improvements need not be complicated. Sometimes simple changes can give you exactly what you need.

-STEVE BENDER

FOR MORE INFO design your own garden arbor: southernliving.com/features

One Sweet Arbor

Southern Living, May 2006 by Bender, Steve

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