Over the winter you may start having dreams about all the things you’d like to do to improve your landscaping next spring and summer. Though those warm, sunny days may seem like they’re a long while in the future, they’ll be here before you know it, and you’ll need to have your plans worked out so that you’ll know what to do when the time comes. One of the structures you might need to consider as part of your landscaping is a pergola. These gorgeous arbors add height and ambiance to any yard and can give your landscape just the right look you’ve been attempting to achieve by choosing one of tons of beautiful pergola designs.

Essentially there are two different kinds of pergolas : those attached to a building and those that are free-standing. The kind that you want to build will depend on where you want to locate your pergola and what function you want it to perform. If you want it to be a cover for your deck, porch, or patio, you’re likely going to want to glue it to your house. If you want to use it as an entryway into your garden or a separate space for relaxing, then you’ll want to find a free standing design.

Pergolas can be made from a variety of different materials. Though many varieties of wood will rot when exposed to the weather, you can use cedar, redwood, or pressure treated materials in building your arbor. You will also have the choice of metal-clad foam which is costlier to buy, but it is lightweight enough to make it easy for you to handle and build with, and it’s life will be much longer than that of wooden structures.

One of the nice things about having a pergola is that you can fit one in almost anywhere. They can be built in all configurations and sizes to fit your existing landscape. Even though the roof is an open lattice, you will still find that these structures define a space and can be comfortable and intimate spots for entertaining or just sitting around and speaking. For instance, if you selected to add a hanging swing and some wonderful garden furniture, you could have a separate conversation area anywhere you would like it.

By hunting for pergolas and arbors online, you’ll be able to find masses of pictures of existing structures that will give you all sorts of thrilling ideas for your own building. You can get construction plans for many of the designs to use as a basis for your pergola, or you can design your own pergola and employ a wood worker to build it to your specs. Irrespective of what pergola design you choose, you’re sure to enjoy your augmented landscape.