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Home » pergola-ideas » Pergola Climbing Plants - Creating a Beautiful Garden Structure Pergola With PlantsIs a pergola with plants part of your ideal backyard landscaping? Picture beautiful vines and trailing plants artfully entwined around a tasteful pergola, creating a relaxing outdoor room for you to enjoy. What a great place for entertaining or just relaxing after a long day! Pergola Climbing Plants - Creating a Beautiful Garden Structure Diane Turnbull Diane TurnbullLevel: BasicHi! My name is Di. I have a successful garden design and landscaping business, with the aim of transforming gardens into beautiful and relaxing spaces, ... ... A pergola may look fantastic as a garden structure in its own right, especially if the design is either intricate - as with some of the wonderful wrought-iron structures, or ultra-modern - where it is used with stylish garden furniture and accessories. But there is nothing quite like a pergola clothed in beautiful climbing plants! It is not only the fact that, each year, we feel amazement at the sight of that first clematis flower, or the beauty of a rose in full bloom, but also, when walking, or sitting, under our pergola, we get a drift of fantastic scent. These things are priceless, and what gardening is all about. Climbing plants - in fact, all plants - can enrich our lives, giving us perspective and calm, excitement and wonder. They are certainly good for the soul! The type of plants grown may depend on the nature and situation of the pergola: for instance, whether it is a walkway, stand-alone feature, or an area used for relaxing and socializing. Some climbing plants need a very sturdy structure because, when fully grown and in bloom, they are really quite heavy. These include the more vigorous rambler roses, and wisteria. Others need plenty of warmth and shelter, such as grape vines, the passion flower and, to some extent, the solanum, although it does grow happily in unexpected situations, even though it is not considered to be fully hardy. So which do we choose? There are eight main species of climbing plant that are suitable for trailing over a pergola. These include climbing roses, clematis, honeysuckle, wisteria, jasmine, solanum (potato vine), passion flower and grape vines. It doesn't sound like many, does it? But when you consider the varieties within each of these species, the choice is almost overwhelming - there are hundreds of climbing roses and clematis varieties alone, with almost unimaginable variations of form, colour and fragrance. Some factors to consider are:
In terms of shape, size, colour and fragrance, much will depend on personal preference. But do try to have something of interest happening for as much of the year as possible. This is where your creative juices can start flowing, making a truly individual, unique and a beautiful statement. For colour schemes, try to imagine the sort of effect you are after, for instance:
The combinations and choices are endless. Make sure that, if you have chosen plants to compliment each other, they do actually flower at the same time! Whatever type of pergola you have, there will always be a wonderful climbing plant to bring it alive. This is where the fun begins. Let you imagination run free! Di Turnbull has been designing and building gardens for many years. To find more in-depth information on building a pergola, pergola kits, garden design and pergola ideas, sourcing and choosing climbing plants, pergola related garden furniture and accessories, visit http://pergolaplans4free.co.uk |