Garden bridges

Garden bridges are becoming an increasingly popular item in many gardens around the world. They add a unique design element that is unparalleled. Garden bridges can be used over streams or ponds to provide a walkway, or simply as a design element of your landscape. The wonderful thing is, garden bridges fit in with almost any landscape, whether they are useful or not. Below are some of the different types of garden bridges available on the market today.

• Villa Garden Bridges – villa garden bridges range in size from small as 3 feet to up to 10 feet. Most are manufactured from white cedar, which is naturally rot-resistant. Villa garden bridges have a single-rail design with multiple posts, depending on the size.

• Estate Garden Bridge – the estate garden bridge has two-tier handrails that are somewhat taller than the villa bridges, for instance. They come with four posts and only come in 5 and 6 feet lengths, but at 27 inches, the estate bridge is one of the widest garden bridges on the market.

• Pathway Cedar Garden Bridge – this Japanese-style garden bridge does not feature handrails like many other garden bridges. It features an elegant, artful arch that goes perfect in almost any garden.

A Bridge to the Past

Garden bridges are relatively new concept in the grand scheme of things. For instance, European gardens did not feature bridges until about halfway through the 19th century. By the end of the century, Chinese and Japanese-style bridges were popping up in garden all across Europe. America jumped into the mix around this time as well. However, American garden bridges were know more for their practicality than for their ornamentation. Small footbridges, long arching bridges and even covered bridges can be found in garden all around the country.

Chinese Concepts

Although the bridges in many oriental gardens are primarily used to get from one point to another, they are also a means of unlocking a different perspective from which to view the landscape. The "camel-back" bridge, which was first used in Imperial gardens, is the most widely used Chinese bridge to this day. Usually manufactured from brick or stone, traditional camel-back bridges had enough room under their arches for small boats to pass beneath. Today, much smaller versions are used in gardens over ponds and streams. Other, simpler Chinese designs include simple wooden bridges or arched bridges with rooftops.

Japanese Styles

Although many Japanese bridges borrowed their concepts heavily from the Chinese styles, the often employed carved trestles and latticework balustrades. They also painted bright colors such as red or orange. These bridges also often include a pavilion midway across the bridge for a resting and viewing point. The less formal, more natural versions of these bridges were often made from stone or unpainted wood. Zigzag bridges as well as decking that zigzags is also a common Japanese design technique.

Choosing Your Bridge

Today, gardeners have all these different styles to choose from and much, much more. Before you purchase your bridge, decide where it will be located in your garden. If you are simply going to use the bridge for ornamental purposes, you can choose any style or size. But if your bridge is going to serve a utilitarian purpose, such as a walkway across a pond, stream, or particularly treacherous part of the terrain, there are many things to keep in mind. First, measure the size of the space it is going to span and choose a bridge that will be large enough. Then decide whether safety handrails are necessary or not. The rest is up to you.