Arbours and Pergolas

An arbour is a freestanding shelter made from living trees or an architectural garden structure covered in plants, usually providing seated shelter. A pergola is an architectural garden structure providing a walkway covered in climbing plants or vines. A form of both, known as an alley, proved popular in medieval gardens.

 

Both arbours and pergolas are structures that provide significant visual impact to any garden design. Their placement requires thought and must be an intrinsic part of the design and not an after thought thus resulting in a cohesive design. Consideration must be given at the outset, before any landscaping work takes place, to the type of structure required to ensure that it is structurally sound. Some structures require significant planning and building.

 

Other garden structures that provide vertical interest are available to the designer and the same care must be provided with the placement of these within a design. These structures include summerhouses, gazebos, gloriettes, tree houses, grottos, arches, and vertical plant supports.

 

Design Outside is experienced in the planning of gardens and can provide detailed specifications for outdoor garden structures.