When you have a beautiful backyard, adding an inviting outdoor pergola is the best thing you can do with it. A shaded sitting area maximizes its use, creates a cozy look, extends the living space and allows you to enjoy the beautiful sunshine on days that you can.
What is a Pergola?
A pergola is a lattice-like garden feature that can be used in a number of ways, such as sitting area, shaded walkway, a green patio or deck. A pergola typically has a roof frame with several slats to keep out the sunlight and vertical pillars to support the roof on which vines are allowed to grow. Pergolas are of two types: free standing and wall-mounted. Free-standing pergolas create a shaded pathway to your garden or outdoor sitting area. Wall mounted pergolas can transform your side yard, front yard, patio or decks. These are anchored to one side using two beams instead of four or more for support. Pergola comes from the Latin word “pergula,” meaning projection eave. It is a type of gazebo that can also serve as a link between pavilions in an open terrace. They are effective and attractive solutions that add visual and financial value to your home. Pergolas are popular with many landscape architects, interior and exterior designers. They are also favoured by DIY enthusiasts to enhance the beauty of usable open space in natural ways. Rustic natural materials, such as wood and metal that appears like wood are popular additions to enhance aesthetic appeal. However, pergolas are not designed to protect you from bad weather, such as rain, hail and snow, unlike canopies, gazebos and awnings. It enhances the look of a patio, deck or outdoor sitting area by creating an extremely pretty, cozy setting that enhances the look of your home.Pergola Cover Ideas
A pergola canopy is not enough to keep out the strong rays of the sun. An extra cover is often required to provide more shade and create a cozier effect.- Live Plants: Use fresh or dried leaves to create a thick foliage for a pergola cover. Fresh, green, live plants and vines such as ivy and honeysuckle are the most popular, inspired by the old world Roman or Greek style. Flowering vines, vegetable or fruit plants that can be intertwined through the slats look delightful, especially when the flowers bloom or the fruits and vegetables peek through. Grapevines, string beans and bitter gourd are some of the lightweight plants that are used for this purpose.
- Dried Leaves: Colourful dried leaves are also an attractive option that you can weave together to create a delightful shade to keep out the sun. Large, thick leaves from palm trees, coconut trees, the stems of long reed and anahaw plants are used for this purpose.
- Split Bamboo: Bamboo is an artistic plant that looks beautiful wherever you place it, however you use it. Bamboo splits lined on a pergola create a natural-look shading that takes you right to the enchanting woods of Japan and China. The uneven gaps between the bamboo poles let in streaks of sunlight that creates the perfect setting for an afternoon tea with friends.
- Fabric or Canvas: For a modern roofing material, long uneven strips of fabric or canvas are used by designers over or below pergola rafters in attractive criss-cross or braided patterns to block out the sun. Use earthy colours such as different shades of green, orange, brown or cool colours such as shades of grey and blue to create beautiful fabric patterns that reflect nature.
- Retractable Waterproof Materials: To keep out the rain along with the sun, it’s best to use retractable, waterproof fabric for the pergola canopy cover. Aluminum pergolas are more durable, waterproof, easy to install and architecturally stunning.