The Lexicon of Landscaping
Defining your garden with structure
How can we make our gardens more inviting in 2025? How about creating a little journey with doorways, halls and outdoor rooms? Even the smallest garden can benefit from thinking inside the box.
Think of your garden as an extension of your home. Indoors, there are entries, hallways, walls, and ceilings. Similar design elements work in the garden. Let’s explore.
Arbor
Arbors are structures that act as doorways. They are generally made from wood, metal, brick, stone, plastic, or a combination of materials. The top may be flat or arched. The structure can be contemporary, formal or rustic with cross beams in a variety of patterns. Arbors—with or without a gate—are useful in tight spaces found in urban side yards, or as an entry point that leads onto a meandering path.
Pergola (per’-go-lah)
Pergolas may be elongated, narrow arbors, basically covering a walkway to another part of the garden. Or, they can be larger structures covering a patio or a deck. They can be freestanding or attached to an exterior wall. The top, which serves as a ceiling, is often a series of slats or latticework that provides partial shade. Like arbors, pergolas are suitable for growing climbing, twining, clinging, or trailing plants. They can also hold hanging baskets along the sides. A good example is in the English Walled Garden.
Trellises
A trellis is another design element that can support climbing plants or it can simply stand alone as a decorative feature. Placed against a house, a garage, a fence or set in a border, a trellis is a multi-purpose vertical element. Some gardeners want a trellis for growing vines or climbing roses, to screen views, or to delineate a space. There’s often an opportunity to use at least one trellis to take advantage of space in a narrow border. One or more large trellis panels can be used to create “walls” for an outdoor room, and provide privacy without creating a claustrophobic feeling. A trellis panel can screen a less-than-desirable view by distracting the eye, rather than blocking the view. And, trellises, unlike solid fences, are neighbor-friendly. There are many attractive vines for small and large trellises.
Ramada
A ramada is usually a rectangular or square open structure with a solid roof. Unlike the pergola, it provides some protection from the elements and provides shade. A ramada may be used over an outdoor kitchen to protect the appliances—and the chef.
Gazebo
Like the ramada, a gazebo has a solid roof. It can be any shape, but gazebos are typically round or octagonal. Some gazebos have screens on the windows and doors, but with glass windows, they can be used practically throughout the year. Add a heater or a fan, and it becomes a multi-season outdoor room for entertaining.
Obelisks (ŏb′ə-lĭsk) and Tuteurs (too-tores)
Obelisks and tuteurs are vertical supports with three or four sides. They can also serve as a piece of art, simply set in a border as a focal point. Like trellises, they make use of space in a small garden or a large border. They can be made from wood, metal, or resin. Some rustic-type tuteurs are made from branches and twigs. Obelisks have a variety of shapes and sizes, but they are typically a four-sided, tall and rounded upright form. Tuteurs tend to be three-sided like a pyramid, wider at the base than at the top. The Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden is a great place to see these structures along with a pergola and trelliswork.
Think it Through
All of these elements serve different purposes. Before you dive in and add something that’s somewhat permanent, think about how the structure will be used. Do you want protection from rain or the sun? Or would you prefer to have a big-flowered clematis scramble overhead, allowing shadows on the ground. Do you need to screen a funky view, such as garbage cans or a dog run? Free-standing trellis panels may help solve the problem.
Before you take the plunge, consider whether the structures will be metal, resin, wood, or stone, with a combination of the latter. Take a cue from your home’s architecture. If the trim is all white, an arbor, gate or fence could be white to tie the space together. If you have a metal fence and patio furniture, you may want to use metal arbors or pergolas for continuity. Here’s to the journey in your garden this year.
Nina Koziol is a garden writer and horticulturist who lives and gardens in Palos Park, Illinois.