Tranquility is ……
Reading your favourite magazine under the shade of a pergola, surrounded by fragrant flowers, soothed by the sound of flowing water with a glass of iced coffee is a real bliss for me. It is equivalent to curling up on the bed on a lazy weekend night feeling so relax knowing that you do not have to work tomorrow. I am sure many of you in this rat race can easily relate to this…..
Cool and Shaded Pergola
Add Volume to Any Gardens
Even a simple pergola will enhance a garden due to its visual impact. It makes a garden more interesting by introducing height element, transforming a 2-Dimensional garden to be a 3-Dimensional. A pergola will add ceiling to the garden and provide you with a great place to relax. Entwine the pergola with Kesidang (Vallaris Glabra), Jasmine or other fragrant vines and voila!! There is no other more enticing place in the garden to enjoy!
Hanging Pots Decorate the Pergola
The Pleasure of Pergolas
Pergola is a permanent garden feature that is invaluable in sectioning off a garden, as well as serving as focal points and invariably making a journey through the garden more pleasurable. A pergola is a garden feature that can be made to suit any garden sizes. It will perhaps make the greatest impact in the tiniest of spaces.
Points to Consider
There are a few points to consider when choosing a suitable pergola for your garden. However always be creative as there is no standard design that fits all. Look around, surf the net, look through home improvement magazines, visit parks and other gardens…… you will definitely find something to your liking that suits your personality, lifestyle, requirements and budget.
Material
There are various types of material that are available in the market. You can go for wood, metal or composite material. If you were to choose wood, do make sure you go for top quality hard wood such as Chengal (Neobalanocarpus Heimii) or Berlian (Eusideroxylon Zwageri) because lesser quality will degrade in our hot and humid environment. My wooden pergola is made of Resak (Vatica, Cotylelobium or Sunaptea species) which is also hard wood albeit not the top most quality. After 8 years exposed to the elements, it is still okay but certain parts are decaying. I may need to replace it in a couple of years.
The Area under the Pergola is Intimately Decorated
I think it is better to spend more at the outset if it means saving in the long run. If you prefer wood for its rustic look, the best bet is either go for the top quality hard wood if you have the budget for it or choose a cheaper option by going for wood finish composite material. Even metal is a good option as once the pergola is clothed with entwined climbers, all the frames will be hidden.
Design
A pergola needs to blend with the tone and style of the garden and house. For example, timber or wooden pergola will exude a country charm whereas a contemporary design pergola will suit a modern home.
Pretty as Well as Practical Wrought Iron Furniture
Purpose
The most important thing to consider is the purpose of your pergola. For instance it can be used for outdoor meal, for private entertaining or just as a visual focal point. You may need to consider that it has adequate floor space for dining set, plenty of room to move about and the sun’s position at certain time of the day. If you are going to use it for entertaining after dark, you will need suitable lighting to illuminate as well as to create more attractive ambiance at night.
Suitable Light for Dining at Night
Location
Choosing a location depends on the function of the pergola. If it is for outdoor meals than for convenience sake it should be in close proximity to the kitchen area so you do not need to walk a distance to carry food and utensils.
Pergola is Next to the Kitchen for Convenience of Outdoor Dining
Suitable Climbers
Plants can transform a cold looking pergola into a thing of beauty. It is always right to choose fragrant colourful bloom to cloth the pergola. However the climbers that look nice at nurseries may not be suitable for the pergola. Some are too aggressive that require more regular pruning while others shed too may dried leaves and flowers that need to be cleared more than once daily.
I have tried a few different climbers and I think I have found what is suitable for me. My present choice is this evergreen climber with seasonal yellow flowers full of tiny prickly thorns to aid climbing. It is light, very hardy and nice. It needs little maintenance. The only snag is you will need to put on gloves when handling this plant as the tiny prickly thorns will stick to your hands.
One Side of the Pergola is Supported by the Lattice Fence
Out of Love with the Chain of Love
I had tried planting Chain of Love (Antigonon Leptopus) before as it looked so pretty on display at the nursery. It did look nice at the beginning when the plant was young. However on maturity the stem became leggy and unattractive. Also you need to pay heavy price for love as it shed copious dried flowers that required sweeping at least twice daily. In the end we parted harmoniously as I still admire the plant but will not bring it home.
Left to Right : Chain of Love and the Current Evergreen Climber
Romancing the Pergola
A pergola can be an ideal structure to invoke the feelings of romance because of its association with warmth, enclosure, peace, comfort, colours, smell, relaxation……….It would be nice to have another person with you to cultivate and enhance that wonderful relationship that are so precious to us……..
Intimate Dining Place Under the Shaded Pergola
