The Old Vicarage by Barnes Walker Landscape Architects, Manchester

Add a romantic doorPick the right door and you’ve created your own fairy tale scene in a flash. And what could transport you further away from reality than that? Even if you don’t have the capacity for a working door like this in your space, consider a purely decorative one — it’s just as evocative and makes an interesting feature. Look at salvage yards and secondhand websites for something that captures your imagination. Train ivy to grow around it. Now, once upon a time … Take a look at places you’d never consider for growing vines and creepers

Add a romantic doorPick the right door and you’ve created your own fairy-tale scene in a flash. And what could transport you further from reality than that? Even if you don’t have the capacity for a working door like this in your space, consider a purely decorative one – it’s just as evocative and makes an interesting feature. Look at salvage yards and second-hand websites for something that captures your imagination. Train ivy to grow around it. Now, once upon a time…

Show off a garden gate. If you’re lucky enough to have an original specimen like this, let it shine. Trim back those creepers, give it a good scrub and treat it with a wood protector (choose a clear finish and test it in an inconspicuous spot so you don’t accidentally make it look orangy and new). If you don’t have such a gate hanging around already, or even a suitable opening to affix one to, perhaps you could find a lovely weathered version and prop it decoratively against a prominent wall. Surround it with plants to soften its edges and help it blend in. Tell us: What’s your garden’s style? Which of these ideas would you borrow? Let us know in the Comments.