Gardening: Building a Garden Gate

There are few structures in the garden more prominent than a gate. A good garden gate can invite a person into the garden, protect the garden from intruders, and becomes a feature to draw the eye. This weekend I put together a gate for my vegetable garden fence (which is still under construction). I managed to complete the majority of work on the gate over the weekend but I still have some odds and ends before I would call it a finished project.

All materials for this project were supplied by Lowe's and the Creative Ideas Network of Bloggers!

The material list:

Deck Screws: 1 1/4" and 2"
4 - PT 2"x 4"s
2 - PT 1"x 4"s
2 - Garden Trellises
4 gate hinges
1 gate latch
Wood Glue

To begin building my garden gate I came up with the idea to build two rectangular boxes and insert trellises inside as a design element. I started construction with a few measurements. Due to the warping of my arbor I ran into an issue, the top of the arbor was 58 inches apart while the bottom was 59 inches. I based everything around the 58 inch measurement. You need to allow for the with of the hinges and a small space between the two gates so they work easily.

I began making the two gates by using 2x4's to create a frame. To connect the lumber together I used an angle drilling tool called a Kreg. It makes these nice little pocket holes and allows you to get a solid grip at an angle with your screws.

Before I screwed things down I used wood glue to help with the connection.

I clamped the wood down on the table and screwed them together with 2" screws.

Next I attached trim pieces to the opposite sides of the frame from where the pocket holes were. The 1x4 pieces help to create a stronger frame which connects the two side pieces together. Then I measured and cut a few inches of my trellises off. I drilled two holes on the bottom part of each gate door to allow the trellises to stick in easily.

The trellises have a little dragonfly design that I thought was neat! We have quite a few of them that float around the garden each year.

I attached the two gates with heavy duty hinges. I haven't completely decided how to attach the trellis to the top. I am considering cutting the top and drilling holes so that the entire trellis fits inside the wood frame area.

I still need to sand down the wood, adjust the frames so they swing easier, fix the trellis insert, and maybe stain the gate. This was all I had time to accomplish this weekend and I'm pleased with the progress! This gate should prevent the deer from waltzing though the front door to my garden. Now I just need to finish the design and the rest of the fence!

Last Month's Lowe's Project: Making A Garden Hoop House.