Durante Pergolas Make Great Arbors

If you love all those photos you’ve seen in magazines of outdoor dinner parties with patio lights hanging from the trees but your yard is just too plain to look that romantic, don’t give up yet. There is a way to create a lovely setting for your own entertaining without the expense of bringing in a landscape architect. Put a Durante pergola up in your plain backyard, and grow vines to cover it to create your own beautiful arbor.

You can plant vining wisteria, roses, clematis, bougainvillea, jasmine or honeysuckle around the base of your pergola, and train the plants to climb up and cover the top, resulting in a natural, flowering roof. You can even plant grapevines if you’ve always wanted a grape arbor, which will give you the added benefit of an annual crop for jellies, grape juice or your own wine.

Pergola Hoover

It may take two or three years for the vines to grow across the top and give you the lush look you want, but in the meantime you can wind patio or twinkle lights throughout the pergola to add a romantic touch for nighttime entertaining. You can also wind silk vines and flowers over the top to achieve a similar look now that your plants will give you later, but you won’t have that heavenly smell you will get from most of the flowering vines.

A side benefit of planting vining plants to cover your pergola is the shade your new arbor will provide in the daytime once the vines grow over the top. You will find yourself using it during both daytime and nighttime hours, whether you are entertaining or just want to relax in the shade with a glass of lemonade and a good book.

Make sure you find the best vining plants for your region, soil type and other growing conditions so you have the best chance for success. Talk with the professionals at your local nursery and get their advice. They can also help you determine what nutrients you might need to treat your soil to make it even better for growing your plants. Follow their advice, water and care for the vines you plant, and you will have a beautiful arbor. Then enjoy it.