DIY Pergola Designs And Ideas For Your Garden

Inspiration for Building Your Own Pergola

If you are considering building a pergola in your backyard or garden, you need some pergola inspiration. Of course, you could always buy a pergola that's already been made, but there is something about creating your own structure from scratch that gives you such a great sense of satisfaction. It's also a great learning experience to enjoy and a fun process especially if you love building things. A pergola is mainly used in the backyard of a home, but you can see them in the front yard as well. They are a great addition to have if you want an area that is shaded, or you want to create a nice looking feature in your yard.

History and Evolution of Pergolas

The word pergola comes from the Latin word pergula, which means a projecting eave. The eave is the part of a building that protrudes from the roof, deflecting rain or snow away from the house to keep it dry. The pergola was a popular item to use for crawling flowers, plants and vines in the 18th and 19th centuries, and they were also made out of brick or stone. These days, we see them mostly being built out of wood, but they can also be built out of metal, aluminum, or fibreglass materials. Pergolas look beautiful covered in a thick cover of plant life, and some restaurants have this as a feature on their eat-in patios, or in gardens as a lovely shady spot to stop and enjoy relaxing.

Creative Uses for Pergolas

These pergola ideas give us some DIY ideas when it comes to the design of a pergola, and also gives some inspiration for how a pergola could be used. For example, a great idea is to use a pergola over an outdoor hot tub, which is a great idea for when its raining or snowing and you still want to enjoy sitting in your hot tub without getting rained or snowed on. There's also the idea of a pergola built on a preexisting deck or patio showing that it can be a great addition to add some privacy and some shade to your backyard area. You can even mix and match materials as they show in the photo of the wooden pergola with aluminum posts.

Pergolas as Privacy Screens and Outdoor Retreats

Pergolas can also make wonderful privacy screens if you share a backyard with someone else if you live in a condo or a townhouse and there are no fences between you. You can also create a luxurious looking setting with a pergola that has been draped with outdoor compliant fabric. Dress the inside up with some nice seating adorned with pillows and rugs, and you have yourself a sweet backyard oasis. You can also simply build your pergola out of tree branches; it would end up costing next to nothing if they come from your own yard. A pergola can also make a great feature on a garage door, adding a lovely detail to your home. There are so many wonderful options when it comes to building and creating your own pergolas, and you can actually find some great plans for pergolas at Homestead and Survival to get you started.