to put a moongate into a narrow back garden?

[Heathofhares]

I want to change my garden a bit. It is narrow and fairly long. 6m by 30.
There is a solid cobbled path running right up the middle and all the planting is up the sides, so it currently leads your eye straight down the garden to the very ugly shed at the bottom.

AIBU to put in a moongate (a round arch) in the middle to try and break it up a bit. DH says it is ridiculous to put one in a space this size. It would have planting up and around it.

I was trying to visualise it in a narrow space so googled. I think it would be fine except I feel it would focus the eye more on the shed. Like a telescope effect!
www.oldhouseonline.com/gardens-and-exteriors/moon-gate/

Do you ever watch that DP garden show with Charlie dimmock & the Rich brothers? They often stick screening in front of sheds with climbers so it isn’t obvious, how about something like that? Then if you do have a moon gate your eye will be drawn to the green covered screening.

OP if never heard of a moon gate until thus thread, and looking at Grr’s link and then beyond... these are gorgeous and I can definitely see it working in a long, narrow garden you describe having.

Can you pretty-up the shed a bit? Paint it, put a wall light on it, maybe a climbing plant (white to show up at night), so it’s a nice thing g to see through the moon gate?

the advice for long narrow gardens is always to divide them up in to a series of spaces and have a not-straight path. The moon gate will still focus your eye on the middle of the garden which might not work. how about having something off-centre to conceal part of the garden and give different points of interest?

I’d never heard of a moon gate before. The one in the picture is lovely

I think it would look great, especially if you could use reclaimed bricks. I love that example. If you decide to go ahead, please can we have before and after pictures.

I think it will break up the length of the garden physically, but act like a picture frame for the rest of the path and shed.

I'd put it over the path but at an angle, and change up the area it then leads to with asymetric paving/planting area so it leads you into its own garden 'room'. Almost creating a fork off the main path.

If you did this a third of the way down, and then did something else (shrubbery? Fruit trees? Pond? Kids play area? Herb garden? Rockery? Mini patio?) to break up into a defined area 2/3rd down, you'll end up with alternating areas of interest that would change the visual proportions of your garden into something more interesting.

If it's an ugly shed paint it like a beach hut, or screen it with plants.

Thank you. That brick one looks amazing. Unfortunately budget and skill dictate something more like this.

Still a good idea?

Lovely.
But what about looking at what you can also do to make the shed look better?

Painting it.
The difference painting even a very old shed makes, is amazing and very inexpensive.

Some nice colour coordinated pots/hanging baskets with bedding plants on the painted shed would transform it.

i had never heard of a Moongate before and they are lovely so thanks OP and @GrrRightBackAtYou for the link

I really like that metal one you just posted OP too.

I think I'd like a wooden one...maybe like the white gate one, but with a low gate bit

If you don't want to focus on the shed could you off set the Moongate to the other side to detail the end of the garden rather than the shed?

How about some fake windows or mirrors on the side of the shed, make it look more summerhouse than garden storage? Maybe with pretty window boxes?

Breaking a small space up into lots of smaller zones actually makes it feel bigger. So it sounds a good plan (although I'd possibly consider going further). And your husband is totally wrong.

The reason zoning works is because it means your brain always feels like it has somewhere else to travel to in the space, which gives the impression of it being bigger and more open.

When you have a single small space without zones it just feels like a small, confined space.

This talks about techniques for long narrow gardens (e.g. zoning, losing the corridor effect):

www.idealhome.co.uk/garden/garden-advice/thin-plot-garden-design-74082

This one has examples of different ways to use zones:
www.houzz.co.uk/magazine/how-to-create-different-zones-in-your-garden-stsetivw-vs~121584501

I had never heard of a moon gate either. Every day is a school day! Love the red brick one.

In your case I think while it might look ok. You are still drawing the eye along to the end of the garden albeit through the moon gate.

I’d probably tidy up the shed area first. And then as others suggested add in some zones rather than just a straight path up the garden.

Small and narrow gardens are the best. You can do so much with the space.

If you change the angles of the garden and used maybe two arches to enter/exit a seating/resting/other space partway along, I don't think it'd feel telescopic.

If you looked one arch in the middle of the garden directing the eye to the shed I agree that'd be telescopic!

Cutting the garden into zones, changing the angles/shapes, adding gravelled/chipped area, stepping stones, etc are all very low skill. The first two only require a spade really in terms of budget. The last two can be done inexpensively - slate chipping is inexpensive as it's a waste product from slate industry and comes in different colours (green, blue, plum, black, grey - or you can mix a combination). Other stones can be inexpensive.

You can get reclaimed paving stones or inexpensive ones to lay stepping stones within a gravel zone or to lead from one zone to the next. Which is a lower materials costs than paving a whole area or paying someone to pave.

Then plants, trellis, bamboo screens for your zones. Paint for the shed (a dark colour will make it recede from view, a light colour will make it feel closer).

And there are pages upon pages free online giving ideas on how to change the zoning/flow of your particular garden to make your idea work best.

Oh, speaking of colours, if you paint your fence a dark colour it will recede visually and feel less like it's hemming you in. Black can be very effective and look great with the greenery of plants in front of it.

Outdoors, light colours advance on you (feel closer) and dark colours recede from you (feel further away).

@user16395699

Love the garden porn, gorgeous 😁🙏