Home and Garden Repairs

Having a pergola built in your garden means you have an attractive new feature that comes with a few practical benefits. Pergolas provide a little bit of shade and can be covered for more, and they're nice places to sit and relax on a sunny day.

Getting the most out of a pergola means you shouldn't be limited to daytime use, however. The good thing is that pergolas are also excellent for enjoying evenings and nights, whether you're sitting quietly with a glass of wine and a good book or entertaining guests. Make your pergola better for evening use by following these tips.

Keep it uncovered

If you've yet to have your new pergola designed and built, go for one with beams instead of a solid roof. You'll still get daytime shade and you can buy a removable cover, but you'll have the option of keeping it open when the sun sets.

The benefit of this is that you'll be able to see the stars, which really makes your time outdoors feel more special. A pergola lets you enjoy the view while providing the comfort of being inside a structure.

Add some light

At night, you'll want to have some light in your pergola so you can still see clearly. Pergolas lend themselves very well to string lights, which can be wrapped around pillars and woven through the roof beams.

If you want to brighten things up further, you can get some larger lights fitted to the pergola's structure. Having a few different types of lighting means you can adjust the brightness level depending on the situation and your mood.

Grow some night-friendly plants

A pergola is a good place to grow climbing plants, which can either be trained up the pillars and along the roof beams, or you can add trellises to make it slightly easier.

Some plants are better at night, as they smell more strongly and their flowers are open during the hours of darkness. Two climbing plants that make excellent additions to a pergola for night time use are honeysuckle and night-blooming jasmine. Their pleasant scents will surround you as you sit outside, helping you create a peaceful atmosphere.

Include a fire feature

As pergolas are fairly open structures, you can safely have a fire in a chiminea or a fire pit. Few things are better than a bright, warming flame when you're outside at night. Make sure you position it safely away from the pergola's timbers and avoid using one under the roof if it's solid.

For more information and ideas, get in touch with local pergola builders.