A pediment is a decorative piece that can be placed above the top of a window or a door. Pediments have been made from architectural polymers, fiberglass, wood and metal. Window pediments are typically made from whatever material has been used to make the window frame.



Door trim pediments can serve to enhance the arch of a doorway. Inside the home or public building, door trim pediments can take many forms. One popular form is the acorn pediment. Here an acorn-shaped object stands between two angled pieces of wood or plastic. This pediment is then placed over the top of a doorway.

Outside pediments can be used on arches, breezeways, veranda posts, and columns. The most common outdoor pediment is the gable pediment. All gable pediments are composed of a triangle with a 120-degree angle at the top and two 30-degree angles at the base. Inside the triangle goes whatever design has been selected by whoever has placed the order for a pediment. Gable pediments are generally made of metal.

If pediments are used outdoors on windows or doors, then those pediments need to blend well with the woodwork or shutters on the exterior. A failure to match any pediments with the woodwork or shutters could detract from the beauty of a home. Outside some variety in the styles of various pediments might be useful. One could for example choose different pediments for each of the arches going into a yard's different gardens.

Some gardeners in California have expertly used this variation in pediments. The community of Del Rey, CA created a special neighborhood garden. Later they received added funding, allowing the addition of a special reading garden. They have used a metal arch with pediment to welcome readers to this new garden.

Now as this community group obtains further funding, it could decide to add even more gardens. Each of those gardens could be given a unique character by the placement of an arch, an arch with a specially selected type of pediment. A trip through such a garden would signal the passing of the garden visitor from one section of garden to another.