How to give your garden character with a pergola

Pergolas are a shady, garden structure whose beginnings date back to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, and were common features in early Renaissance gardens throughout Europe. Their primary purpose was to provide shade on walkways, terraces, or pools.

The earlier versions were often constructed from stone pillars with wooden cross-beams with a lattice roof. It was common to see ivy, grapevines, or other climbing plants winding around the wood, and filling the open spaces between the lattice.

Today, discerning landscapers will incorporate interesting additions to your garden and a pergola is one of them that you could consider depending on the kind of space you have.

It’s great to have a lovely lawn in your backyard but an addition such as a pergola will give it that extra touch, says Jason Muya, a landscape developer in Nairobi. A pergola makes a striking accent to any landscaping theme; not only is it eye-catching, it is also functional.

Depending on its size and the space you have, a pergola can become an extension of the main home, and may be used for entertaining, dining, or as a quiet oasis for reading or simply enjoying your garden.

Here are ideas from Muya for your pergola:

1. The most common version is a simple structure with wood cross-pieces or lattice for the roof, and used to cover a verandah or sitting area. The wood used can be painted or stained. To lift it up, add lighting, plants, and other accessories.

2. Install your pergola along the entire length of the verandah, similar to an awning. It can extend out farther at different points to create interest and seating areas underneath.

3. If you decide to have it away from the house, place it in a random area of the garden to create a shady spot to escape from our often scorching afternoon sun. Add a nice little bench, and plant climbing roses or other scented vines nearby to make it a really pleasant place to sit at.

4. If you are creative enough, you could opt to create a beautiful entrance to your house by placing your pergola over the entrance in place of a standard tiled roof. Paint or stain it the same colour as your front door or house trim.

Even though it won’t keep out the rain, it will provide a certain amount of shelter, and create an impressive entrance. If you want to keep out the rain, you could use see through mabati but this would ten mean you would not have much greenery at the top of your pergola because of the weight.

5. Instead of the standard lattice look on the roof or mabati (if you don’t like the look), use strips of bamboo placed side by side. It creates additional shade and gives the structure a twig furniture look.

6. Your pergola is the perfect place let those nice looking vines grow wild; creating a thick natural canopy. Vines that work well include Wisteria, Morning Glory and many varieties of climbing roses. It’s also a great place to grow berries like raspberries, but you have to keep trimming these as they grow very fast and will climb onto your roof in no time.

7. Give your pergola some style by adding architectural accents such as a curved top, cylindrical wooden column supports, or design a top that flows with the roof lines of your house.

8. Use your pergola to create a garden filled with your favourite shade-loving plants. Ask at any good nursery for plants that thrive in the shade.

9. Give your pergola a rustic look by using rough logs and unstained beams.

10. A pergola is the perfect place for that hanging swing, chair or hammock. Add a small table, a cool drink, a good book, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

This weekend, take a good look at your garden, whether it is a work in progress or a mature one and see where you can add this interesting feature that will make sitting or entertaining in your backyard that much more interesting.