Garden Structures: Pergolas, Arbours, Gazebos & Arches
Garden structures add essential design elements to your outdoor space. They can help section your yard, support climbing plants, and provide shade. In the winter, when most plants are dead, they help provide year-round design elements.
It can be confusing to differentiate between structures like pergolas, arbours, gazebos, and arches, but once you understand the differences you can select the best structural additions to your outdoor space.
What Each Structure Does
Unlike the other structures, pergolas are completely open and provide partial shade thanks to the slats in the framework. They can also be placed on patios and provide a way to section a space for a specific purpose. In addition to providing some shade, they can support climbing plants.
Arbours are also smaller structures. They provide a seating area and are often hexagonal or triangular. Like pergolas, they can also have a framework that is fully covered by a trellis style design. They are great in corners of your outdoor space and can serve a quiet reading area. Since arbours are designed for two, they are also designed to be cozy.
Gazebos are built to be permanent structures. They have a solid roof that is typically topped with a cupola. They have hexagon or octagon roofs with a partially enclosed design. They allow outdoor entertaining year-round, and they are built to hold furniture for events. They are designed to be outdoor “living” rooms.
Garden arches are framed structures that are built to mark an entrance or a division in a garden. They are typically 2 to 2.5 meters tall. They are usually used with climbing plants, and they help add anticipation to a space or mark a division.
Choosing by Function
Shade and Dining — Typically, a patio pergola is used to shade dining areas. They allow for views to be maintained and summer sun to be filtered. With seasonal deciduous climbers, you can maintain winter views to the sun and keep summer facilities concealed.
Privacy and Retreat — The best choice for a retreat is an arbor. By placing it behind a planted border, it can give a more concealed feeling.
Entertainment and Large Gatherings — If you plan to host large gatherings, a gazebo is your best option. They provide the shelter needed from the elements.
Gateways and Focal Points
A pergola over a pathway is a gateway, directing the viewer’s and foot traffic’s attention down a pathway. Design elements that act as gateways and focal points create an orderly and interesting landscape.
Material and Build Quality
Most wooden garden structures come in pressure treated timber which comes with a fifteen year anti-rot guarantee. Timber naturally provides warmth and ages well by silvering. Some structures come with finishes that require maintenance but prolong the life of the color. Metal structures come in wrought iron, steel, and aluminium. Metal structures are modern, more expensive and require less maintenance than timber. Galvanized steel provides a lower cost, stronger option. Iron provides a striking, stronger option. Aluminium provides a strong, many color options, maintenance free choice. Structures that combine timber and metal balance aesthetics and maintenance.
Size, Positioning, and Practicality
A pergola requires space to be a successful element. A 4 metre pergola in a small garden will create a negative impact by making the garden feel smaller. Most suburban gardens can accommodate a 3 by 3 metre pergola. A simpler arch can be used in smaller gardens. Positioning requires consideration. A pergola provides relief if it is placed over a patio that receives the strongest sun. A gazebo in a corner of the garden that faces the strongest winds will be a constant battle of the elements. An arch can be used to frame a garden element or entrance, but will serve no purpose in the middle of a lawn.
Planning Permission
Planning permission is rarely required for structures built in gardens within the UK. There are restrictions on height, and in most areas, structures that are over 2 metres tall need to be checked through your local authority especially if they are built near boundaries. Building regulations could also apply for structures where sides are enclosed, or there are electrical installations.
Planting and Integration
Bare structures can be functional, but within the first season add climbing roses, clematis, honeysuckle, or hops. These can help create a scenic view around the structure. Hops and jasmine are fragrant and can be placed by seating areas.
Shade-tolerant perennials and shrubs can be placed around the base and can help the structure seem more integrated as opposed to being a separate, planted structure.
Cost and Durability
For ready-made structures, a simple arch can be as low as £300, and larger gazebos can be over £2000. A good, and well-designed, pergola can last between 15-20 years. Timber structures have the possibility to fail, but treated timbers can last the entire frame’s period.
A good choice for a new structure can be the reason a family uses their garden. It can also be the main focus for the entire garden design.