Have you noticed that pergolas are making a comeback? I provided examples of pergolas, explaining their advantages, in a recent blog post but even in the month since then, I’ve noticed they are surging in popularity. Dermot Bannon, the architect in the popular TV programme ‘Room to Improve’, has recommended them to two home-owners this season so far. Speaking to an owner of a sawmill recently, he said he is receiving lots of orders for wood for pergolas in recent months.
A pergola is usually a wooden structure of upright pillars which support beams at intervals. The beams create a canopy ‘roof’ thereby it resembles an outdoor room. Pergolas can be a striking architectural features of your home whether the beams are left bare or covered with foliage. The pillars provide ideal uprights for climbing plants, many of which will be self supporting, although do bear in mind that the pergola needs to be strong enough for their increasing weight as they grow up and across the ‘roof’. Which are the best climbers for pergolas? Below is a recommended selection.
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