Dream you are in a garden. Beautiful flowers abound and flourish. A bench beckons across from a babbling pond. Fish flutter through the water while birds flutter above. A cobblestone path leads to an opening in the trees. And you nestle in on a rope swing with that morning cup of coffee. A beautiful dream.

But, does the garden gate match the dream? A garden gate should allure your guests in. The garden gate is the enchanting entryway. It suggests the mystery that lies beyond. ?Whatever that mystery may be?. Passersby stop to ponder what could possibly be behind such a beautiful garden gate. So create your own mystery with the perfect garden gate.

Be creative with wood and hardware. Choose either a natural wood or painted wood to match the architectural feel of your home.

Consider an opening in the gate, a portal to catch a glimpse of what lies beyond. This portal can be made from an attractive iron grill or from a piece of a forged gate.

Then there?s the hardware. Decorative hardware is the jewelry that dresses out that perfect garden gate so don?t skimp here.

Garden gates should be hung on heavy-duty butt hinges, with dummy strap hinges added to complete the effect. Strap hinges are available in colonial and European designs to match the design aesthetic of any home. Consider different styles of strap hinges to enhance and individualize ?your? look.

Hardware for opening and closing the gate has options as well. One option is to use a cast or forged pull handle on both sides of the gate. Or choose a latch. Beautiful and authentic thumb latches and gate latches are an excellent addition to individualize you garden gate. Designs are available that compliment the design of the strap hinge.

If your interest is Spanish, Mediterranean, English, Old World, or French, consider adding clavos nails. They come in many sizes, and can be either threaded or driven into the holes of the hinges, or around the surface of the gate itself for an outstanding individual look. These non-functional Clavos (Spanish for nail) recreate the effect of the old fashioned, hand made, clinch nail. A truly beautiful option.

By their nature garden gates are exposed to the elements. The wood gate will require either painting or water proofing with deck sealants. The finish on your hardware should be black powder coat over steel, aluminum, or cast iron. This type of product is successful in providing good rust resistance. Cheap hardware is usually painted. This shiny black paint will easily peel away and rust will begin to seep down the face of your gate.

All screws should be touched up with black automotive type enamel paint to insure rust will not start at the screws. Another option for all of the screws is to use stainless steel grade 304, in a black finish if available.

And finally for security, ad a keyed dead bolt, or a simple hook or dead bolt on the inside.

There you are. Enjoy the beautiful dream and enjoy that cup of coffee.