What Exactly is a Garden Bridge? And Why Do I Need One?

Your investment in the landscaping of your entire outdoor paradise has lead up to this moment. You've worked hard to bring every aspect of your garden together, turning the great outdoors into your personal theme park, installed sprinklers to make sure its green all year round, and even installed that pond that everyone thought was a little extreme in nature. With your moat intact, you have all the elements but one to complete your garden - you still need to get a garden bridge.

You've never heard of a garden bridge? Or maybe you didn't even know that these specialty items were even built for the end consumer? In the words of those more famous than I: Believe it! Garden bridges are one of the most charming accents you can add to your garden, because of their uniqueness and rarity they offer your outdoor escape.

With your patio set intact, you're still unsure that you really have use for a garden bridge. Yes, you have your luxury patio furniture on the deck, and your grill ready to go...why exactly would you need a bridge to tie everything in together? By knowing the charm and fun that a garden bridge can add to your back yard, you may be inclined to think twice about what it can do for you.

Bridges of any kind are used to connect two areas of land separated by a natural (or in some cases, man-made) gap, in order to move people and items from point a to point b with the least possible resistance. While your garden bridge is not necessarily made to connect two land masses of epic proportions, it can bring a newfound charm to your garden that you would not otherwise find. For instance, your backyard may have a man-made creek, that feeds into a pond. Why not use a bridge to connect both sides of the creek? By doing this, you will not only allow a shortcut for your guests to cut across your garden with, but you will also provide a unique and fun perspective for you and your guests to watch the water go by on a lazy summer afternoon.

Maybe you're looking for the right piece to tie together your entire garden with your patio and home. For instance, perhaps your outdoor furniture has a Far East feel about it, but your garden screams "contemporary America." This is the perfect application for a garden bridge to bring all the pieces together. Bridges come in a variety of styles and variations, and can commonly be built to custom order - or at least can be decorated to fit the feeling of the entire garden. So if you have a garden that doesn't fit your patio furniture (like the Far East patio furniture in a Near West garden), use one to "bridge" the pieces together: a garden bridge built with a Japanese architecture influence will help marry your garden and outdoor furniture harmoniously.

While they may seem extraneous at first, knowing the aesthetic benefits of a garden bridge justify the investment. And depending on how your garden is developed, placing a bridge can be the missing factor that brings your entire landscape together.