Moongates

Neat lawn? Tick
Interesting tree with up-lighting? Tick
Paved area with outdoor seating? Tick
Think you’ve got all the key cornerstones of a modern garden sorted?

Moongate created by Anderson Landscapes, for a client in East Molesey

Ah, well think again….. have you considered a Moongate? It’s not as hippy as it sounds. In fact, moongates are increasingly the must-have feature for the very hottest gardens.

Moongates tend to be created either from stone (generally Purbeck stone) or wood, and are erected in an area of the garden where you are looking to form a different look. You may want to offer a way of bisecting two separate parts of your outdoor space – perhaps the gate might form an inviting entrance to a tropical garden? Or take you from a well-manicured and neat look, into a wildflower meadow area as you stroll around?

Moongates started life as traditional architectural elements in Chinese gardens. They often appeared as circular openings in garden walls, but have evolved into being standalone features in their own rights - acting as a pedestrian passageway. You can picture the beautiful look created by using a stunning stone alongside bamboos and water features. And while we said they’re not for hippies, they do actually have a wonderful energy to them. When positioned carefully and in-line with where the sun sets and rises (that’s right – build your own Stonehenge), they can be a truly stunning feature for your garden.  

There is also a wonderful sense of history to them. The heritage of arch building and stone-laying – as well as dry stone walling (we’ve moved on from Stonehenge to Hadrian’s Wall) is something deeply entrenched in the craftsmanship that has been dying out over the years. So inspite of the origins being from ancient China, they also hark back to the way the art of stonemasonry contributed to homes centuries ago, here in Britain.

From a practical perspective, this prominent and striking feature can help create the illusion of a bigger garden, making them a great method for those more bijoux areas. And of course space (or the illusion of space) converts into money when it comes to selling your property.