If you've recognized the instant charm that garden bridges lend to any outdoor area, you may have begun to wonder what one would look like in your yard. Maybe the cost of installing a pond has held you back. In your mind, you can only picture a bridge spanning a pond, river, or creek. But you can use garden bridges as accents without installing a pond or any waterway at all.



For instance, you can connect two flower beds with a bridge. You can install flower beds in the middle of your yard, not just right against your house. Mark two round or oblong shapes in your lawn. Cut up the soil in the areas you marked. Use a shovel to dig up a couple feet of soil and cut up the chunks. Place some sort of edging material around the boundary of each bed to separate it from the lawn. The edging could be a plastic garden edger, a row of rocks, stacked bricks, pieces of discarded railroad ties, or whatever else you can imagine. If you want to spend less time weeding, you can install a flower bed liner before you plant your flowers. After you plant, mulch the beds. You will install the bridge to connect the two beds you've created.

If you already enjoy a large garden with walkways or paths through it, you can place a bridge on one of these paths. Garden bridges don't have to connect anything. Try them as accents, and you might find the missing element you've been searching for.

You can also transform a rut in your yard into a faux stream or pond, minus the water. Line the rut with stones to make it look like a dry stream bed. Measure the width of the rut so you can select a bridge that will fit properly. This bridge can now transport you from one side of the rut to the other, and you have transformed a problem area into a decorative landscaping element.

Use garden bridges to link two or more separate patio areas. Pour concrete pads in your back yard. Install a bridge between two pads as a walkway. If you have small children or grandchildren, you can also frame up a couple sandboxes and link them with a bridge.

Install garden bridges as walkways from your house to other special features of your yard, such as an arbor, an outdoor swing, a gazebo, or a picnic table.

As you can see, bridges aren't just for water gardeners. You can use them as accents for nearly any area of your garden or back yard. Use them to connect flower beds, patio areas, or sandboxes. Transform an annoying rut into a faux pond or stream. Place bridges on paths or use them as paths between your home and other features of your yard. Use garden bridges as accents in your garden, back yard, outdoor play area, or private wildlife observation area. They will add a special touch to your haven and create an inviting atmosphere when you entertain guests.