subject: Pergolas Make Landscapes Picture-Perfect [print this page] Naturally, we'd all love to have gardens as gorgeous as the ones that we see pictured in various publications; but most of us feel that it's an impossible dream. Of course, magazine photographs have a long history of making us feel inadequate about a lot of things (even though we shouldn't). However, unlike some of our other areas of what we often perceive as deficiency, which require time, will power, or a lot of money to fix, in most cases, we can beautify our yards simply by adding pergolas, trellises, or arbors.
Indeed, garden structures can work wonders on all types of landscapes. In fact, their effects are often so dramatic, that they can transform dull, problematic yards, patios, decks, and porches, into magnificent outdoor living spaces. Moreover, they have been performing their magic in gardens, worldwide, for centuries. Pergolas, for example, are known to have existed in ancient Egypt and Rome.
Pergola (PUHR-guh-luh) is an Italian word that comes from the Latin, pergula, which means "projecting roof." While people often use it interchangeably with the word, trellis, and, sometimes, arbor, there are differences. For one thing, a trellis is a simple, two-sided structure that's designed to support vines and climbing flowers. It can be placed against a wall or a building, or driven into the ground to stand on its own.
On the other hand, a pergola is a more substantial structure, which can be free-standing, or attached to a building; and it can be used to define a distinct outdoor space. Arbors are somewhere in between, as they can be plain (kind of like glorified trellises), or quite elaborate, with gates, swings, and extensions. They are most often used as arches over walkways and entrances to gardens.
Although they have been around for ages, pergolas have, naturally, undergone many changes along the way. During the later part of the medieval period, and into the beginning of the Renaissance, gardens frequently featured green tunnels, which were designed as shaded passageways that would stay cool when the weather was hot, and dry when it was raining.
The tunnels, which represented pergolas in their early forms, were made by binding shoots of willow, or "withies," together at their heads, over pathways. This created a series of arches, which were then interwoven with long, wooden slats; and, once they were in place, climbing flowers and ivies would be planted nearby, to ultimately cover them.
Around the 17th century, pergolas began to resemble the ones that are familiar to us today. The main difference was that they were usually much more massive, as they were typically constructed with huge pillars of brick or stone that were fitted with large crossbeams. Then, during the 18th and 19th centuries, a trend toward more naturalistic gardening caused them to temporarily fall out of favor. In the 20th century, however, they made a comeback; and, now, they're more popular than ever.
Incredibly beautiful and versatile, they can be integral to nearly any garden design, and can even solve many landscaping problems. For instance, if there's a bare, open area in your yard, just add a pergola, and a few patio chairs and accent tables, and you'll have a nice, shady retreat. Put a picnic table, or an outdoor dining table, beneath it, and it will be a great place to entertain. If you have a patio that gets mercilessly baked by the afternoon sun, cover it with a pergola, and it'll be sheer heaven.
Pergolas also make wonderful, and very attractive, enclosures for hot tubs, and will afford any degree of seclusion that you desire. You can use a basic pergola, just for cover and shade, or get one with privacy panels, which come in solid and latticed versions. If you want total isolation, you can also add a few strategically-placed trellises or multi-paneled trellis garden screens.
