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Garden Bridges 
Garden bridges are fun to walk over and take you back to a simple place in time. Gardening Newsletter
The history of garden bridges dates back to ancient times with exotic examples from Japan and China. Japanese gardens are especially known for their ability to relate to the natural environment and their garden bridges are an important part of this.
There are examples of garden bridges from every culture with every kind of design. Many gardens today have decorative or functional garden bridges as a part of their beauty. There are many manufacturers who specialize in making standard kits to be assembled or custom designed and made to a particular taste.
Garden bridges come in many different shapes and sizes and are made from various materials. In wood they generally are made from:
Garden bridges can be used for a variety of settings including:
Free Newsletter Please sign up and enjoy our Gardening Advisor Newsletter. In this you will read both fun and serious gardening information covering a wide range of topics.
We will gaurd your Email with great care and NEVER send spam or sell your information. Spanning the Length: When looking to buy or build a garden bridge you need to know the length of the actual span across the water or other space. One reason is that some manufacturers sell their bridges by actual footage instead of by the span it covers. In other words, an 8 foot bridge (because of the curve) will only cover a 6-1/2 foot span.
Quality Materials:
The quality of your garden bridge matters because it is out in the weather and usually near water. If your bridge is made of wood try to make sure it is weather & water resistant as well as sealed with stain or other product. It’s a good idea to make sure the hardware used such as bolts, screws, and washers are stainless steel. A second choice is galvanized or some other long-life coating on the hardware.
Assembly of Your Garden Bridge:
When buying a kit the ease of bridge assembly is important. Some manufacturers only require a few common tools to put theirs together. There is nothing more frustrating than to try and assemble something that is very hard and takes hours to do. Buy a kit that organizes their components with numbers, letters or colors so it is easy to follow the instructions and match up where parts go together. Different Types of Bridges:
Different Styles of Bridges:
Garden bridge manufacturers use various terminologies to describe their bridges. You can compare those, apples-to-apples, by viewing photos on their websites. Basic descriptions are:
Standard Bridge Lengths:
Most manufacturers have standard lengths they offer in their bridge kits. Many will also custom make your garden bridges as well. Standard lengths are:
Remember… depending on the manufacturer, an 8 Ft. bridge may only cover a 6-1/2 foot span. Know this when you are making the purchase so you can get the right length. Free Newsletter Please sign up and enjoy our Gardening Advisor Newsletter. In this you will read both fun and serious gardening information covering a wide range of topics.
We will gaurd your Email with great care and NEVER send spam or sell your information. Garden bridges are a nice decorative addition to your flower gardens, ponds or creek. |