Gates can either say “welcome” or “keep out”!  I love the gates that say “welcome”.

Now just because you may have a gate to keep intruders out of your yard, or to protect the wonderful recreation vehicle parked inside doesn’t mean your gate screams “keep out”.  BUT, it’s the gates that have a warm and welcoming feeling that I am thinking of now.

• The gate that begs for you to enter under the arbor and into a garden.
• The gate that is always left ajar so as not to discourage a visitor.
• The gate that is nothing less than an artistic masterpiece.
• The gate that invites the question, “I wonder what’s inside there?”
• The secret garden gate.
• The gate from re-purposed materials.
• The whimsical gate.

As in most decorating whether inside or out, it seems the only hindrance we bear is our imagination.  The most beautiful gates I have ever seen are in Hawaii.  I love to drive around the island we are visiting and see these beautiful masterpieces. Dolphins, orchids, turtles, birds, suns, waves….wow!  I so wish I was there!  I dream about having a gate like that, even though my dream would need to shrink in size about two thirds.

I would really like two gates; one to say “welcome”, the other to say, “I would rather you use the other gate.”  That’s ok, right?