13 Garden Arbor Ideas to Make Your Fairy-Tale Aesthetic Come True

This modern garden arbor will one day be covered in wisteria vines, says Ben Bowen, landscape designer at Ross NW Watergardens. Seeing the delicate purple blooms canopy this garden entryway will certainly be worth the wait. Plus, in keeping consistent with the desired design aesthetic, the plant will provide "a fairly traditional take on a Japanese-style gate," he adds.

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If you want your garden arbor to feel like it's always been there, build it within the foliage of an existing tree, Bowen suggests. "A modern take on a Japanese moon gate, this arbor has stone columns anchoring it in place," he adds.

Work your garden arbor into a privacy fence to separate the more public areas of your yard from the ones you want to keep away from prying eyes. Bowen says of this large one, "This modern arbor, located in Camas, Washington, was designed to match the scale of our client's large modern home. It sits on a slope above a public walking path and serves as a gate, marking the transition from a garden area that feels public to an area that is more private."

For a whimsical outdoor dining area, choose to add a garden arbor big enough to cover the whole party. The team at Eden Garden Design created this custom arbor for a client's backyard and covered it in fragrant flowers, herbs, and vines to make this casual space feel more elevated.

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You don't need flowering plants to ensure your garden arbor is extremely lush. Simply choosing climbing greenery still makes the feature look extremely unique to your yard, and it provides ample coverage.

To emulate a picket-fence style, simply paint your garden arbor white. Its neutral, classic look will automatically make your lush greens and vibrant blooms pop.

Make the entrance to your walkway more interesting by adding a garden arbor at the very front of your property. Think of it like a symbolic doorway into your yard and home, and decorate it with your favorite flowering vines.

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Want to dramatically fill your backyard space? This elongated garden arbor creates a corridor that segments the area and gives climbing vines plenty of space to stretch out. Plus, once the plants cover the canopy, it'll provide much-needed shade on hot days.

Though a whimsical, grass pathway is beautiful, sometimes you want a more manicured look for your outdoor space. If that's the case, pave a brick pathway in your yard and put up a white garden arbor over it.

Cottagecore meets storybook-rustic with this garden arbor idea. The natural wooden posts evoke fairy-tale enchantment, allowing climbing vines to grow wildly up and over the canopy.

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While many garden arbors serve as entryways, this one is a destination unto itself. This dreamy outdoor reading nook invites you to sit and relax among your flower beds while the climbing vines provide shade.

Instead of wood, use a metal garden arbor for a more modern look. Choosing one like this allows for more design potential, as seen on the sides of this arbor. You have a lot more freedom outside of trellises with this material.

Give yourself a reason to hike up the slope in your yard by adding a garden arbor at the top of a hill. Though this one doesn't include one, you could even add a bench underneath to give yourself a shaded spot to rest after climbing the stairs.