Small Ornamental Garden Bridges

Little kids LOVE small ornamental garden bridges.  I've seen it myself -- they NEVER seem to get tired of running over and over and over and over the garden bridge at Grandma's house.

Children aside, an ornamental bridge provides a charming and serene focal point for any garden, and it has both decorative and functional uses.

Let's look at a variety of small garden bridges, then I'll give you some resources in case you'd like to build or buy your own.

The simplest "bridge" of all is simply a wooden plank or a stone slab.

Garden bridges can be made of metal, stone, or brick, but are most often made of wood, preferably a rot-resistant wood such as cedar or redwood.  You can stain and seal the wood, paint the wood, or just let it age naturally.  (Cedar wood naturally ages to a silvery gray.)

Here's a simple little bridge with a gentle arch that is quite easy to build.  Two arched "stringers" provide the foundation, and numerous foot planks overhang the stringers on each side.

(link to Amazon)

Here's the same bridge, but with added railings.  Railings add some safety and elegance.

(link to Amazon)

Railings can be high or low, single or double.  Here's a bridge with nicely arched double railings:

Rustic railings can be made from tree branches or carved wood.  Here's an image of a rustic bridge at the famous country cottage of Marie Antoinette outside of Paris:

There are lots of ways to get creative with railings, such as inserting sunburst patterns, wagon wheels, flowering vines, etc.  Instead of railings, ropes or chains can be attached to the posts.

Spindles (often 2" by 2") can be attached to the railings.  

Posts can be decorated with finials, as you can see below.

Solar lights are another nice addition.  Here's a handsome 8-foot-long bridge made by Redwood Garden Bridges that has short railings and solar lights attached to the posts:

Adding pathways or stepping stones on both sides of a bridge is a nice touch.

A bridge can zig and zag.  Here's a red cedar bridge in a classic Japanese design:

One of the most photographed and recognizable garden bridges in the world is this one at Claude Monet's garden in Giverny, France.

Bridges that complement a country cottage are often left natural or are painted white.  They might also be decorated with flower boxes or hanging baskets.

Ornamental garden bridges were used in China long before they appeared in the West, and you'll see plenty of them in Chinese- and Japanese-style gardens (often with the addition of a nearby stone lantern).  Here's a classic image of a Japanese garden with a water feature and a high-arched bridge:

Bridges in Chinese gardens are often painted bright red, a color that in China symbolizes happiness, vitality, and good luck.

Since red and green are complementary colors (opposite each other on the color wheel), the juxtaposition of a red bridge and green foliage creates an energetic and dramatic "WOW" factor.  Don't these contrasting colors grab your attention?

Some of the nicest historic bridges are ones that have a high arch in the shape of a semi-circle.  By reflecting the water below, a complete circle is visible.  Beautiful!

Here's a brief video that will show you lots more bridge designs:

Ready to build or buy your own ornamental garden bridge?

Handymen might want to start by reading these instructions by Rod Bird about how to build an arched footbridge.  Here are some other instructions with some good tips, thanks to GNH Lumber.  This 3-minute video might also be helpful.

If you'd rather buy a little bridge, you can find some that are quite inexpensive (perhaps even less than the cost of your building materials).  Easy-to-assemble kits arrive with the wood sanded and pre-drilled.

Here's a popular little bridge at Amazon made by All Things Cedar, and we've listed its features:

Here's the same bridge with the addition of hand rails:

(check sizes, prices and reviews at Amazon)

Outsunny also makes a well-rated five-foot bridge that comes in natural or stained wood:

As you can see, a small ornamental bridge is a charming addition to a landscaped yard, garden, or wooded area.