What is the Purpose of a Pergola?

You’ve probably seen them before and maybe you didn’t know what they were called. Those sometimes-arched structures that you find in gardens that is like a grid and typically has plants or flowers hanging on them. Well, now you have a name for them and they’re called a pergola. Maybe you knew what they were and thought they looked kind of nice but kept wondering to yourself what really is the purpose of one? That’s a very good question. So what exactly is the purpose of a pergola and why should you have one in your garden?

Many people think a pergola is kind of useless and purely for decoration, but that’s not entirely true. They do provide you with some amount of shade, even though they’re not fully covered like an umbrella. No they will be unable to shield you from the elements like wind or rain, but depending how tight the grid is, (in other words how close the beams are to one another) it will provide you with plenty of shade to keep you protected from the sun and cooler in the summer. These are great to have over an outdoor table; perfect for enjoying meals or drinks out on the patio.

Another purpose for a pergola is one you probably see a lot in outdoor weddings—framing an entrance. Pergolas are great for putting over an entrance into your garden from the house, over a walkway leading up to the front door or anything in between. What makes them so versatile is that you can get pergolas in various sizes and colors, so you can fit them to whatever purpose you want to use them for here.

Another popular use for pergolas is to create a covered walkway, tunnel-like atmosphere. These are popular in parks, but can be recreated at home as well. People will line walkways with pergolas and then grow plants and ivy on them to act as a blanket to keep the area cool and shaded. This use of a pergola is not only useful, but can actually create a wonderful place to be in the summer time, and without a pergola you wouldn’t be able to recreate this tranquil are in your garden.

Finally, pergolas are simply decorative and pretty. Yes, they serve many other purposes as well, but ultimately you can have a pergola to just add a bit of something to your yard. They’re delicate and nice to look at and if you place pretty plants on it, it’s a whole statement on its own.

Pergolas may seem pointless on the face of it, but they serve many purposes that improve your garden and yard and make it into a beautiful space you want to spend even more time, and who doesn’t want that?