Understanding Landscape Structures
Adding structure to your garden or backyard can take it from ordinary to extraordinary, creating spaces that are not only beautiful but also functional. Each structure—whether it’s a pergola, gazebo, or greenhouse—serves a unique purpose and can enhance your landscape design. Here’s a closer look at eight popular landscape structures, what they are, when to use them, and how they add value to an outdoor space.
Awning: Sleek Shade and Shelter
An awning is a fabric or metal cover attached to buildings, providing shade and shelter from sun or rain. It extends over patios, windows, or decks, offering protection while allowing airflow, making it ideal for creating cozy outdoor spaces and shielding furniture from the elements. Awnings come in retractable and fixed varieties and are often crafted from canvas, metal, wood, or vinyl. The type of material you choose should be based on the season they are needed, cost, and durability. They’re ideal for creating a shaded area that offers comfort and protection without fully enclosing the space, allowing for natural airflow while keeping out harsh sunlight and light rain. Awnings are particularly beneficial for outdoor dining or seating areas that get too much sun and can reduce heat gain on West and South-facing windows. And thanks to modern technology, some can be adjusted automatically with sensors, or with the touch of a button!
Pergola: Open-Top Beauty and Versatility
A pergola is an open-roof structure typically constructed from wood, metal, or vinyl, with spaced rafters or beams that provide partial shade and dappled sunlight. While it has a roof, it’s often more of a frame, offering an airy, open feel that’s perfect for outdoor lounging or dining. Pergolas are ideal for creating defined spaces within a larger yard and can be enhanced by climbing plants that add both natural shade and beauty as they intertwine with the structure. This blend of nature and architecture makes pergolas a flexible choice for spaces where you want to encourage relaxation while still enjoying plenty of sunshine. The word pergola comes from the Latin word ‘pergula’ which means ‘projected roof’ and they add a third dimension to our outdoor rooms. But how do you pick a favorite style when they are all so unique and beautiful?
Pavilion: Spacious and Open Gathering Space
A pavilion is a large, open-sided structure with a full roof, designed to provide ample coverage for events, dining, or lounging. Built with strong support beams, pavilions are more substantial than pergolas and can house larger outdoor spaces, such as kitchens or seating areas. Pavilions add elegance while offering substantial protection from sun and rain. With their open, breezy design, they allow for easy airflow, making them perfect for poolside lounging or as an extension of outdoor entertainment areas. Pavilions are excellent for properties where hosting large outdoor events is a priority. Mine is the snowy one above, and although we don’t have a paver patio under ours yet, we do now have some seating and love relaxing in this space. We even hang our screen from it in the summertime to watch outdoor movies!
Gazebo: Enchanted Garden Sanctuary
A gazebo is a classic and timeless free-standing structure featuring a full roof and open sides, traditionally constructed in a round, octagonal, or hexagonal shape. These elegant structures can be built using various materials, such as wood, metal, or composite options, providing complete protection from both the sun's intense rays and the rain, effectively creating an all-weather retreat for various activities. Gazebos serve as a wonderful addition to any yard, offering a cozy and inviting spot for year-round enjoyment, relaxation, and outdoor dining experiences with family and friends. Due to their eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing design, they often become focal points within a garden setting, creating a warm and welcoming space to sit back and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Fancy a spot of tea? Need a beautiful spot for a wedding ceremony? Need to run out of the rain to steal a secret kiss? You may need a gazebo. Just think of the enchantment they have created in TV and Movies like The Sound of Music, Twilight, and Gilmore Girls!
Arbor: Framing Entrances with Character
An arbor is a smaller, often arching structure designed to frame an entryway or pathway. With sides made of lattice or open beams, arbors are built to support climbing plants like roses, ivy, or clematis. Arbors create a sense of passage and lead guests from one part of a garden to another, enhancing the landscape’s flow and aesthetic. Their small size and enchanting design make them a perfect choice for adding character and visual interest without overwhelming the space. A welcoming gateway to the garden or backyard, blending elegance with simplicity, a simple doorway to added charm with endless possibilities!
Trellis: Vertical Gardening for Privacy and Visual Interest
A trellis is a flat, lattice-style structure that supports vertical plant growth, making it an ideal choice for small gardens or yards needing privacy without large structures. Trellises are often attached to walls or placed freestanding serving as backdrops for climbing plants like jasmine, clematis, or climbing roses. They allow gardeners to maximize vertical space, turning blank or ugly walls or fences into green, living art. In addition to aesthetic appeal, trellises can serve as natural privacy screens, dividing areas of a yard or providing a buffer between neighboring spaces - like when you have a deck that sits high above the fence looking straight onto the neighbor’s deck!
Greenhouse: Controlled Environment for Year-Round Gardening
A greenhouse is an enclosed structure with transparent walls and roof, often made of glass or polycarbonate, allowing sunlight in while protecting plants from harsh weather. Greenhouses create a controlled, warm environment ideal for nurturing sensitive plants, extending growing seasons, and growing non-native species. The enclosed design lets gardeners adjust temperature, humidity, and ventilation, allowing growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers throughout the year (in Utah you’d need to heat it in winter). Greenhouses come in various sizes, from compact personal greenhouses to larger structures suited for dedicated gardeners. There are so many price points to choose from so you can find one that fits your budget, or it may be fun to DIY one from reclaimed materials.
Cabana: Poolside Retreat with a Resort Feel
A cabana is an open-sided structure with a solid roof and is often partially enclosed with curtains or panels, creating a private, relaxing space. Commonly seen poolside or in lounging areas, cabanas offer shelter from the sun and can be furnished with lounge chairs, daybeds, or even small bars to create a luxurious retreat. Adding enclosed sides helps to protect equipment like outdoor sound systems and TV. And wouldn’t you rather prepare a meal outdoors with your guests surrounding you instead of inside where you can’t enjoy the party? Cabanas are excellent for those who want a resort-style experience at home, allowing homeowners to unwind comfortably while enjoying shade and privacy. They add sophistication to dining areas or backyard lounges, creating a secluded and welcoming space that feels like a mini oasis whether you have a swimming pool or not! (I only have a few examples to show you from photos I have taken, so think a little more enclosed than the three pergola examples I have above. The dark one does have a back wall for a TV.)
Each of these landscape structures offers unique qualities that can transform a garden or backyard into a space that’s beautiful, functional, and inviting. From the partial shade of a pergola to the fully enclosed comfort of a greenhouse, understanding how these structures complement different outdoor needs will help you create the perfect landscape for relaxation, gatherings, or gardening pursuits. They also greatly increase the aesthetic appeal by defining spaces to create outdoor doors and rooms, and increase property values. Choosing the right structure for your space will allow you to maximize your yard’s potential and enjoy your outdoor oasis to the fullest. If you need help deciding what structures may be best for your landscape, be sure to contact me for help!