Passageways

I just read up on passageways in Bunny Williams’ book ‘On Garden Style’ and thought I would share it with you for a nice read: “Modern-day gardeners could take a few clues from nineteenth-century suitors on the subject of gates. A gentleman courting a lady viewed the garden gate as an opportunity for romance, for a bold statement, or at least for a bit of fun. I think they were on to something. Architectural elements at the garden entry provide opportunities to create interest. A whimsical red metal gate, a white lattice arbor with inset benches, a rustic pergola leading to a door - all these set the mood for the experience to come. There’s language to the garden entry, too. A high stockade gate set in a fence discourages visitors, while a low wooden gate welcomes them. A black iron gate between two brick columns is a formal threshold; remove the gate, and the entry remains dignified but a bit more relaxed. A tunnel formed by arching hoops pulls you in. The entryway introduces the garden, frames your first view of it, and creates a sense of anticipation. Gates, arbors, pergolas, and hoops are the doors and hallways of discovery - they move the feet and the eyes across the threshold or through a tunnel-like passage into the open space of the garden. And once inside, looking back at the entry offers its own pleasures when the entry’s form is sculptural or climbing vines add vertical color and interest.”