Garden Gate DIY project

Oh the lazy days of summer, time to relax, have a drink and read a book in the garden. After several minutes of this, it is time to put away the book, get out the table saw and start a new project.  My HH was determined to get this garden gate project off his/my list during his summer vacation.  We've managed without a side gate for many years but with our littlest one beginning to walk we thought it was time to make something to keep our explorer contained.  The parameters for the design of the gate included:

• had to allow light to pass overtop and through from the West so as to not shade the back veggie garden
• able to pop off and remove the gate to allow a vehicle or Boler Trailer enough space to pass through to the backyard, which also means needed to be fairly light weight
• 2 sides opening from the middle to provide what I think makes a welcoming entrance to the back yard
• made of cedar because it is the kind of wood available and commonly used here in the Pacific northwest

First Step:  HH is removing an old rotten fence post and replacing it with a new one set in concrete about two feet into the ground.  Replacing the old fence was NOT part of this project but we did end up replacing one other post at the same time to keep theold fence a little more vertical.

  

Below you can see the back side of the completed gate.  I think my HH is giving himself a pat on the back for a job well done.  You can see from this side that we screwed the 1"x 2"s with a gap of a half inch onto a frame made of 2"x2"s.  The metal corners also provide structure to the frame of the gate and were from a "gate kit" available at hardware stores.  The hinges are able to pop off and are attached to a post on the fence and a 2" x 4" with a backer inside the garage.  We hung the gates and held up a hose to create the swoop curve.  After marking  the curve we wanted, we took the gate down and cut the posts down using a jig saw.

 

 

Below you can see the completed front side of the gate.  I am very pleased with our final gate though it took more time, money and effort than I thought it would.  Now that it is complete I can see a pathway leading from the gate to back yard would be a great addition. Also, something interesting is needed on the wall on the side of the house, or perhaps we should just take the last few moments of summer to relax.  Pass the lemonade please.