By definition, a garden pergola is a structure that is built out of pillars, cross beams, and lattice walls.  The lattice walls support climbing vines that grow over the top of the structure.  Much of the area beneath a garden pergola is therefore shaded, but the light is never completely blocked.  Visibility remains clear for humans, and sufficient sunlight reaches the ground for most species of garden plants to thrive beneath the shelter created by the structure. 

A garden pergola is one of the best things you can invest in to compliment your residential landscape design.  It will add tremendous curb appeal no matter where you have it constructed.  This is because its presence adds vertical impact to your landscape and draws the eye toward areas of interest that represent fine outdoor living or highly developed outdoor aesthetic. 

The importance of such vertical impact cannot be emphasized enough.  Some small yards simply do not have enough room to contribute to the sense of sweeping expanse we think about in professional landscape design.  However, a well-constructed pergola, built to scale with your house and surrounding Houston landscaping theme, can make your yard look much bigger than it is. 

If your property is large, the vertical impact of a pergola has a much different effect and the senses.  In largeRiver Oaks, Memorial, and Tanglewood properties where back yards are often more than 2 acres in size, a pergola serves as a warm and vibrant invitation to a special scene, a special moment, a memorable event, and an ideal vantage point from which to observe the surrounding Houston landscape. 

Any garden you add such a structure too is immediately transformed from a place that people like to look at to a place that people want to be near.  Climbers growing on the side walls make it look as the garden is reaching upward from the ground and create just the right amount of shade to sit and visit.  If you are looking to turn one of your favorite gardens into a custom outdoor room, then having a pergola built will definitely establish its significance.

Garden pergolas do not have to be built exclusively in conjunction with formal gardens.  Many of them are built as walkways between gardens or other points of interest.  One very popular landscape design motif is to build a pergola between a patio and a courtyard garden in order to transition from hardscape to a much more lush and organic environment.

Please also keep in mind that the simplicity of a pergola’s design allows its specific geometry to be very highly customized.  Some are built with vertical walls, right angles, and horizontal cross beams—much like gazebos.  Others are built with curved walls and arching cross beams overhead to create veritable tunnel of greenery from point to point.   The geometry of your garden pergola should be determined by the type of home architecture your house is characterized by and the surrounding landscape design theme in your back yard. 

Another excellent place to build a garden pergola is as an entrance to this is often the best way to build an outdoor room, because the tunneling effect of the structure focuses the senses on a new realm of experience that waits just on the other side of the arches.  A pergola here does not have to be any larger than a typical gazebo to create this effect.  Think about how your home’s foyer sets the tone for the rest of your dwelling with only a small space and short gap of time to work with.

A pergola can also be decorated and lit.  Plant-friendly lighting can be installed in the interior if you wish to provide low-level ambient light at night time.  Hanging plants and flowers can be suspended from the crossbeams, and outdoor artwork can be hung on the interior sides.  The wood used to build the structure can also be stained and finished to give it a high-end look.