We love to turn landscapes into luscious plant havens for homeowners longing for greenery. An important part of that is incorporating manmade structures to make a yard into an outdoor living space. Using patios, paths, fire pits and arbors, we transform plain yards into exterior extensions of a home. Of those choices, arbors are the most abstract—they have a lot to offer a landscape, but it may not be obvious what exactly they do, and how you can use one to its fullest potential.

These structures are highly customizable—they can be wooden or metal, rustic or whimsical, vine-laden or bare—and they have a dual purpose of practicality and design. An arbor outlines space and becomes a natural gathering point, with the possibility of providing a lot of shade if covered in vines or hung with drapes. Design-wise, it is a geometric counterpoint to the surrounding organic shapes of nature. Their strong lines and height provide a different dimension to a yard, and are almost always focal points that draw the eye.

Arbor Materials

Arbors can be constructed precisely to individual tastes, but they are almost always made of wood. Metal varieties are typically aluminum. Eagleson Landscape uses cedar or treated lumber to ensure the arbor won’t rot in the inclement Indiana weather. Other materials to use are rough-sawn oak or pine, each of which affect the look and style of the structure. We recommend staining the wood to add longevity and beauty.

Arbors can also have a “living coat”. There are a wide variety of vines to choose from, and each will give you different flowers, leaves, and growth patterns.

Where to Put an Arbor

We build most of our arbors over or around patios and decks. Other uses include arbors over garden paths as archways or entryways, and as a very stylish way to add a swing.

Arbors gracefully provide yards with an entry point or gathering space to relax amidst the surrounding landscape.

Eagleson Landscape Company provides landscape and hardscape services in the Greater Indianapolis area, including Carmel, Zionsville, Westfield, Fishers and Geist.