Landscaping a home garden is about more than choosing the right ornamental trees, flowers and edibles for your vegetable garden. It’s also about the accents you choose to add. Gazebos and pergolas are two of the most popular and luxurious additions you can add to your yard, but it is helpful to know the difference.
Pergolas are attested to from as far back as Ancient Egyptian times. They became popular once again during the Italian Renaissance. Their name means "a close walk of boughs" in Italian, and refers to the fact that they are usually somewhat narrow structures covered in plants. Though the name “gazebo” does not have a definite origin, it is likely a combination of the English word “gaze” and the Latin suffix “ebo,” translating to “I shall gaze” and referring to its use as a viewpoint.
Pergolas, like arbors and trellises, are often made of wood. They usually have trellised or latticed sides for plants to grow upon, and their tops -- unlike arbors -- are usually flat, with slats or beams running across them. Gazebos are usually floored, porchlike structures with roofs and support pillars running around the outside. They are often fenced, or sometimes have completely open sides. They may either be freestanding or attached to a garden wall.
What Grows Upon Them
Because they are made with many criss-crossing pieces of wood and tall, sturdy frames with long slats on top, pergolas are perfect for climbing vines such as grapes (genus names and growth habits vary, but there is a climbing grape for most climates). They are also good for other flowering or ornamental vines. Gazebos are less commonly covered with vines, though they usually have beds around them in which flowers grow.
Pergolas are most often used to shade or dramatize a walkway, a transition zone or the entrance to another part of a garden. If they are big enough, benches or chairs can be set underneath them. Gazebos, on the other hand, usually offer a 360-degree view of what surrounds them, as they are open on all sides. They are typically used as a viewing spot, perhaps with table and chairs or wraparound benches. In England, where they likely originated, they were often used to view landscape projects.
- Kansas State University Research and Extension: Using Structures in the Garden
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: Arbor, Trellis, or Pergola—What's in Your Garden? A Mini-Dictionary of Garden Structures and Plant Forms
- University of California: Viticultural Information
- University of South Florida: Flowers Growing Near a Gazebo
- Michigan State University: The Demonstration Gardens
- Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images