Harmonious and Welcoming Entryways

The entryway is one of the most defining aspects of your home – your signature. A front porch is just one point of entry that says “welcome”. P. Allen Smith conducts a tour of the harmonious and welcoming entryways into his home and garden in this eHow Home video:

The arbors are based on elements of the house, with the Doric columns and entablature in the same style as the house. Bonnets provide support for growing vines as well as a finished look, while side panels provide a sense of entry. Brick panels serve as the foundation. The walkway is also brick and filled in with gravel.

Another entryway with a slightly different design supports a lovely new dawn climbing rose. The pitch of the bonnet is similar to the pitch on the roof of the house. Rustic limbs from cedar trees give it a unique quality.

The breezeway or loggia is another entryway that is also an outdoor living space with furnishings and ceiling fans. A sense of harmony is created between the arbors, breezeway and house by the repetition and continuity of the brick and architectural materials.

A camellia hedge with a carved arch is yet another entryway that also provides beautiful blooms in the fall.

As an added benefit, the architectural elements of these entryways make the garden a magical place in the winter.