Hello again, and happy summer! I hope you had a wonderful Independence Day and are enjoying many al fresco moments with cherished family and friends during the warm weather months. Whether it is a riverside camping trip, a boat ride on the lake or, of course, a garden gathering, now is the time to get outside and soak up some sun!
This spring I embarked on a project that I am very excited about and wanted to share it with you. I added a brick privacy wall and gated entry to the perennial garden along the west side of my house. You can see what the results look like with respect to the front facade in the above image.
I had been wanting the wall and gate ever since I moved in, so this year I decided to go for it. At first I wasn’t sure I would do the entire wall, so I started with the gate.
I had some bricks leftover from remodeling my house and used them to construct 2 columns, approximately 7 feet tall and 16 inches wide. Of course, all projects end up being more involved than expected, and as you can see I had to reroute some drainage and irrigation lines to locate the columns where I wanted them.
The columns turned out great, though. So great, that I just couldn’t stand it and decided to move forward with the wall sooner than I expected.
So, after encountering a massive tree root and multiple additional irrigation and drainage lines, I got my wall, and it was well worth it! I finished off the project by adding a tall double gate that matches the style of the other ironwork throughout the garden.
Walls and gates can add so much to a garden. They give a space not only a sense of definition and privacy, but also a bit of intrigue-begging to be explored. I just love the feeling it has given both my front and perennial gardens. It also serves as a wonderful backdrop to the various plants nearby, including two new climbing ‘Iceberg’ roses that I look forward to training up and over the wall.
So if your garden or outdoor space could use definition, privacy or just a little extra character, consider a wall, a gate or both! They are sure-fired ways to Live Outside the Box!
Exterior designer Daniel Keeley is an Arkansas native and founder/principal of DK Design. His work has won numerous awards and accolades and is featured regularly in various publications. For more information visit dkdesignoutdoor.com.
