Q: What Is A Pergola?
A: A pergola is an upright wood garden structure that can stand tall above a patio or walkway and much like a trellis allows vines or ornamental plants to grow up its sides or along the beams at its top. They are typically used to create shaded walkways and sitting areas, but can also be used for many other purposes. They are used in more open spaces as decorative sources of shade, and don't necessarily include any kind of seating. This makes their applications more diverse than a typical patio structure.
How Can a Pergola Enhance Your Outdoor Space?
The purpose of pergolas is to provide a decorative link or shady sitting area. Some people also put a pergola over their front porch so they can sit outside during the hot summer months without baking in the hot sun. If your garden has an entryway consider putting up a pergola as canopy to make the pathway to your garden more organic and natural-looking. You can also purchase an oversized pergola to fit a barbecue, bar counter or eating area for guests.
Try putting one in place of a patio awning or in front of a sunny bedroom window as well. Not only will it look classy, it will also smell fantastic depending on what flowers you decide to grow. Just imagine waking up to the scent of your favorite flowers in the morning. You'll think you're on vacation, even though you're home. You don't need to worry if your bedroom is on an upper floor, because a pergola can also go on a balcony.
If practicality is something you appreciate, have a pergola built outside of your kitchen and grow grapes, tomatoes, and other vine-based vegetables on it and place your herb garden underneath the pergola's shade. Not only do the fruits and veggies look pretty, you can also eat them. Who says a pergola has to be just for show?
What Colors Should You Choose for a Pergola?
There are many pergola colours and styles available to match just about any design scheme. You could go the contrast route by pairing a dark stain like Black Oak with bright-colored plants, or vice versa. If you have solid-colored outdoor furniture, you could find a pergola to match your set as well, then train plants of a complementary color. To enhance the pergola's natural ability to cool off spaces, try staining one in a light colour such as Driftwood Beige to reflect the sunlight away. It doesn't have to be white, either – you could also opt for a pastel colour like Habor Green to blend in with your foliage a bit more. You could also opt for a natural wood colour like Rustic Cedar and subdued plant colours to give the eye a break from any bright or showy flowers in your garden. If you don't exactly have a green thumb, you could also hang string lights or small lamps from your pergola for an intimate night-time hangout spot.
Would a Pergola Be a Good Choice for Your Home?
I hope we have finally answered your question of 'What is a pergola?'. Whether a pergola would work well with your home depends on what kind of space you have to work with, and the bigger the space, the better. Whether you choose to connect it to your home or not, a pergola brings a sense of classic artistic appeal to almost any home exterior. Additionally by choosing a great colour for your pergola it can fit in just about anywhere, design-wise. The only limit for enhancing your exterior space is your imagination.