04/09/2026
🌿 An arbour should lead you somewhere.
I photographed this incredible Bauhinia kockiana arbour
as a beautiful reminder of how powerful an arbour can be when it becomes part of the garden experience, not simply something decorative.
In thoughtful landscape design, every element should have a reason for being there. An arbour can frame a view, mark the transition from one garden space to another, create a sense of anticipation or draw you along a pathway towards something yet to be discovered.
Two things I always consider when incorporating an arbour into a garden design:
🌿 Make it part of the journey
Position it where it creates a genuine moment within the landscape. That can be framing a path, defining an entrance, connecting spaces or encouraging you to wander further into the garden.
🌱 Design for what it will become
The day a garden is planted is only the beginning. Consider how climbers will grow over the structure, how light will filter through the foliage, how materials will weather and what that experience might feel like in five, ten or even twenty years.
That’s something at the heart of my own landscape design philosophy.
I don’t believe garden elements should be added simply because they look beautiful. The most memorable gardens are composed of interconnected moments. Each has a purpose, gradually revealing itself as you move through the landscape and becoming richer as the garden matures.
A great garden shouldn’t reveal its whole story at once. 🌿
Would an arbour have a place in your dream garden?
📸 Bauhinia Kockiana arbour at Penang Botanical Gardens, Malaysia
