Your primary goal in landscaping: to create a livable outside space in which you and your loved ones can make the most of the great outdoors. You accomplish this goal by integrating various elements together in a way that ensures both natural beauty and functionality. One of your greatest tools in this effort? Pergolas, which provide much-needed shade and can serve as a key point for outside socialization and relaxation. Not sure where to start? These pergola landscape design ideas will help you craft the outdoor living space of your dreams:

 

Transition From Home to Yard With Varying Pergola Heights

Your pergola need not be a uniform height. Many homeowners prefer pergolas of varying heights, especially as a transition from indoor to outdoor spaces. For example, the pergola nearest your home may be tallest, while a lower pergola bordering the yard can mark the shift from one type of living space to the next. Shifts in height may be sudden or subtle, depending on your preferred aesthetics and how you intend to use your pergola.

 

Use As a Walkway

While a pergola can create a wonderful seating area or space for outdoor dining, it could also make a wonderful addition to your otherwise unshaded backyard path. Placed above outdoor walkways, pergolas add structure to paths that might otherwise meander aimlessly. As walkway ornamentation, pergolas may lead individuals from the house to a garden, shed, gazebo, or garage. No matter where they lead, pergola walkways make a valuable addition to your outdoor living space.

 

Combine With Hedging or a Fence

When you picture a pergola, you probably think of either a freestanding structure or an offshoot of your home. Break the mold with a pergola that doesn’t attach to a building or stand on its own, but rather, supports landscape elements such as large hedges or fences. This type of pergola not only provides shade —it adds visual interest to an otherwise ordinary fence. In turn, the fence adds function to the pergola — it essentially creates a back wall. The fence can also offer additional shade that might otherwise be offered via curtains or a canopy.

 

Hybrid Pergolas

An increasingly trendy concept: combining elements of pergolas with other landscape design features such as trellises, arches, or arbors. These ‘hybrid pergolas’ can be used as living space, but also as purely ornamental designs. Hybrids are commonly used in gardens, where they allow for versatile layouts and plenty of nooks and crannies for an outdoor escape.

 

Climbing Roses As Transition to a Flower Garden

If your pergola borders a gorgeous garden, it might as well serve as an extension of your flower collection. Adorn your pergola with climbing roses; many varieties are both beautiful and easy to maintain. Choose your pergola carefully; you’ll want something sturdy that can bear the significant weight of climbing roses or other vertically-oriented plants.

Whether you dream of outdoor dining, additional shade for your garden, or a new source of visual interest, pergolas can transform your landscaping. Play with creative pergola landscape design ideas to create a look unique to your home. Contact Mesa Awning today.