BAMBOO GAZEBO AND PERGOLAS

Gazebos, also known as pergolas, summer houses, screen houses, pagodas, and pavilions, have been popular in backyards and gardens for generations. Their popularity has grown in recent generations, and they are now one of the most common garden structures in the world. The classic wood octagonal gazebo of red cedar is probably what comes to mind when you think of gazebos, but there are many different sizes and styles of gazebos.

Gazebos can be constructed of wood, wrought iron, or vinyl. Their shape can be an oval, an octagon, rectangle, or dodecagon (12 sides). Gazebos can have a simple asphalt roof, a double roofs, or even a roof with a cupola. A gazebo can be very small (a "lover's gazebo" 6 feet or smaller) or large enough to hold a party in. A gazebo can be screened to keep out pests, or open style without screens. They can include built-in benches, chairs, swings, and tables, and they can be wired with electricity to allow for ceiling fans, electric lights, and other fixtures.

Building a Gazebo?

Installing a gazebo in your yard or garden is the perfect way to create a welcoming retreat for family and friends to enjoy the scenery and lounge outdoors. Depending on your garden's style, there is more than likely a variety of gazebo designs that will suit your style, landscape and pocketbook. The subsequent article discusses gazebo installation and design to suit any garden style.

The most commonly found gazebo designs resemble Victorian style structures; these are generally built from wood that can be left natural or painted white typically. This type of style is still popular in both public and private gardens. Kits can readily be found at home improvement and garden centers. Of course, an enterprising builder can even design a plan to perfectly suit the setting. Victorian style gazebos may be simple affairs with floor, railings and roofs or highly ornate with built-in benches, stairs and ramps. These designs are generally open-air structures but it is possible to incorporate screens for those areas with significant mosquito populations.

Many Victorian style gazebos also feature climbing plants. For example, the gazebo's base may be constructed with lattice-work which is the perfect support for English ivy or climbing roses. When settled within the garden, this becomes the perfect backdrop for any setting. For a romantic and secluded arrangement, consider installing tall trellises around the gazebo and hang baskets of flowers from hooks along the gazebo's rim. This style is perfectly adapted to formal English style gardens or rustic country landscapes.

For Oriental gardens, consider outfitting your yard with a pagoda-style gazebo. The wood could be left natural or painted black and red and then heavily lacquered for dramatic effect. There are many Oriental garden ornaments and plants to select to surround your gazebo for an overall great effect. Consider suspending hanging lanterns around the open sections of the pavilion or installing a small garden pond nearby filled with Chinese goldfish.

A strictly formal garden can always incorporate a Victorian style gazebo, but consider one made from brick or even stone. Such construction materials will be more costly, but they will also endure the elements quite well and add a stately charm to any formal estate. These gazebos could even be fitted with windows to enjoy the outdoors behind glass in cold or stormy weather. This style could be built right off the house or set somewhere in the landscape overlooking a ridge perhaps or a stream.

Some gardeners prefer a very understated or minimalist approach when it comes to style and a gazebo need not be an ornate or overstated structure to work well. A rustic square style with four posts, a floor and a roof can provide all that is necessary to enjoy the outdoors. Such gazebos are perfect places for outdoor entertaining. A simple set of tables and chairs along with a few lovely containers for plants and you've created a wonderful outdoor room.

Finally, whatever design you choose, you can adapt it to fit in any location in your garden. A large plot of land can certainly benefit from a large pavilion style gazebo. But even a courtyard garden can employ a small gazebo in a corner of the space for those romantic candle-lit suppers in the garden. Consider hanging candelabra from the gazebo's ceiling for enjoying the garden at night.

Whatever your style, you can choose a gazebo to match it or make simple changes in kit designs to suit your needs. A gazebo offers gardeners a place to relax and enjoy the landscape they work so hard to maintain. It also is a spectacular feature for outdoor entertaining during the growing season. Whether built as a focal point or hidden as a surprise feature deep within a garden, a gazebo is an attractive feature for every garden.