Home Improvement Ideas Outdoor Structures Pergolas, Arbors & Trellises 20 Gorgeous Garden Arbor Ideas for an Enchanting Outdoor Space Whether standing alone or covered with climbing vines and flowers, garden arbors add a striking focal point to your yard. By Jessica Bennett Jessica Bennett Jessica Bennett is an editor, writer, and former digital assistant home editor at BHG. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on July 1, 2024 Close Photo: Laurie Black Give your yard a boost of style and added function with a beautiful garden arbor. Arbors can be simple or elaborate, including scrolled metal designs, rustic wood looks, gated arbors for privacy, or open entryways that transition from one part of a yard to another. Arbors can be elaborately covered with floral vining or simple structures that keep the focus on architectural style. Whatever option suits your home, our list of arbor ideas has something to inspire you to enhance your backyard living space with charming appeal. 17 Ways to Update Your Deck for Laidback Outdoor Living 01 of 20 Create a Path for Strolling Rinne Allen Garden arbors provide an attractive way to divide your garden into sections or emphasize a particular area. Here, a simple stepping-stone path becomes an inviting entrance thanks to an arbor overflowing with blooms that spill over to the adjoining fence. The arbor's dark gray finish lets the bright flowers take center stage. Why Won't My Climbing Rose Bush Bloom? 02 of 20 Spruce Up a Picket Fence Kritsada Panichgul Dress up a plain picket fence with a stylish garden arbor. Place the arbor arch over an entrance to instantly give it a more sophisticated, eye-catching look. Trailing vines up the sides adds texture and creates a lush look. The gated fence keeps pets in and adds privacy to this front entryway. 03 of 20 Forego Vining Plants Marty Baldwin Although garden arbors offer an ideal perch for climbing plants, they can look just as attractive standing alone. Here, two elegant columns are topped with a wide arch to enhance this garden's entrance. A low picket fence separates the garden from the rest of the yard, making the tall arbor structure especially striking. 04 of 20 Boost the Greenery Matthew Benson Placing a garden arbor (even a simple one) over your front walk can dress up your front yard and make your entrance more memorable. Choose an arbor that fits your home's style and scale for the most impact. Here, blooming clematis, which practically envelops the arbor, boosts the effect of the traditional metal garden decor. 18 Sidewalk Landscaping Ideas for Your Front Yard 05 of 20 Emulate Formal Garden Style Michael Jensen Garden arbors are a classic element in traditional landscaping designs. Place an arbor over a walkway to your garden to instantly elevate its appearance. Here, the timeless look is enhanced with carefully pruned hedges and symmetrical plantings to add a formal atmosphere to this pebbled walkway surrounding a stone-tiled water feature. 06 of 20 Match Your Arbor to Your Home Laurie Black When choosing materials for your garden arbor, look to your home for inspiration. Your siding, roof, and exterior trim colors and textures can help offer guidance. Here, a gray-washed wood arbor contrasts with rich red siding while picking up the tones in the wood shingle roof. The arbor is the garden's first entryway, with a double-door fence just beyond. 07 of 20 Plant Climbing Roses Andrew Drake Train climbing roses over a garden arbor to create a dreamy display of cascading blooms. Look for the climbing rose varieties best suited to your area (not all roses grow well in all regions). Selecting the right rose will make your garden easier to maintain, so you can enjoy more blooms for longer. 08 of 20 Find a Private Spot Alison Barnes Martin A garden arbor makes a charming addition to any patio. Place an arbor across the pathway to your patio to define the entrance stylishly. For added privacy, train vines along the sides and top to help block the view. This structure transitions from the yard to the flagstone seating area tucked away for a quiet spot to enjoy the afternoon. 14 Ideas for Creating a Backyard Oasis 09 of 20 Deck Out Your Yard Stephen Cridland Like it can enhance a patio, the right arbor can add drama to your deck. Keep the style and scale of your structure consistent with the rest of your deck for a unified look. Be sure to match the wood stain so the arbor doesn't look out of place. Climbing plants along the top and sides is good for added deck privacy. A pergola-style arbor like this is an opportunity to add hanging planters to your landscape. 10 of 20 Enclose the Walkway John Granen Combine a series of inexpensive metal arbor arches for an instant arched garden path leading to a walled-in outdoor room. Together, they give a sense of enclosure, especially if you grow vines on them. This trick can also create a more dramatic entrance to your garden. 11 of 20 Build a Wooden Garden Arbor Tim Murphy Give your eyes a place to go up in the garden. Here, a wooden arbor nestles in a lush perennial border to provide structure and height. The simple wood construction doesn't detract from the colorful blooms below and adds a decorative touch with the flower-shaped detail at the top of the arbor. 12 of 20 Develop a Special Side Yard Andrew Drake Stuck with a narrow side yard? Don't let the extra room go unused. Install a simple arbor arch to help make it a destination instead of a pass-through. Here, a long, narrow space (which might otherwise go to waste) becomes a lush, inviting spot thanks to a garden arbor and gate. 13 Clever Side-of-the-House Landscape Solutions 13 of 20 Embrace Cottage Style David McDonald Complete a cottage-style garden with a charming arbor that spills over with blooms. Choose a traditional white design to make the flowers pop, like this one placed across a front walkway. White lattice installed along the sides of the arbor continues the cottage aesthetic. 14 of 20 Paint the Garden Arbor Edward Gohlich Garden arbors are traditionally painted white or left their natural wood color. However, you can make yours eye-catching by painting it a bold, bright color. Be sure to choose a hue that will stand out against the surrounding greenery. Why not try a vivid shade of red to transform a basic arbor into a focal point and a work of garden art? The crimson hue is continued on the cozy bench, making it a statement-making piece and a place to sit and admire the garden. 15 of 20 Surround the Arbor in Greenery Ernie Braun A garden arbor arch can add a charming surprise to your front yard. Consider incorporating one into a hedge or using a mix of materials, such as wood, metal, or stone, to create an unexpected arbor. Here, a crisp white arbor rises out of a boxwood hedge and is crowned dramatically with climbing roses. To add even more drama, choose a flowering hedge that will infuse the entryway with colorful blooms. 16 of 20 Encourage Feathered Visitors Mike Jensen Invite birds to visit an arbor to make it more than a decorative element. Secure birdhouses along the sides or top of the arbor to create a welcoming perch for feathered friends. Tuck smaller houses in for a subtle effect or use them as a focal point. Some types of birds are essential to a garden's health since they pollinate flowers. How to Attract Hummingbirds So They'll Visit Your Garden 17 of 20 Tailor Your Arbor to Your Garden Janet Mesic Mackie Choose an arbor that complements your garden's overall theme for maximum appeal. For example, if you have a classic-style garden, consider a traditional metal arbor, such as this one, with its decorative gates and stately spire. The classic theme continues with climbing roses to create the perfect vignette. An arbor with simple architecture and straight lines would work for more modern landscaping. 18 of 20 Go for Asian Touches John Reed Forsman An unfussy garden arbor can help you achieve an Asian-style entrance to your garden. Look for an arbor with clean, simple lines and natural color. Avoid overly ornate styles; in Asian garden design, simpler is usually better. 19 of 20 Drape Arbors with Weeping Plants Eric Roth Weeping conifers look great when they carpet the ground, but they're especially stunning when supported and allowed to dangle. This weeping larch is a perfect plant to clothe an arbor with elegantly draping branches. Before planting, make sure your garden arbor is sturdy enough to support the weight. With hanging plants like these, keep them trimmed so they don't brush the top of visitors' heads as they walk to your front door. 20 of 20 Save a Spot for Relaxing Robert Cardillo As you fill your garden with plants, don't forget to include a place where you can sit for a while. A garden arbor with a bench underneath provides a lovely spot to enjoy the view. Add plenty of flowering vines overhead to provide shady seating. The 17 Best Garden Benches of 2024 to Upgrade Your Outdoor Space Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit