The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 7:19 pm**

the job we are on at present is at the stage where we are thinking about hardscaping
the client has a very wide garden approx 120' but only about 50 ' long
she wants a pergola in the middle of the garden but i feel this is the wrong place
are there any thoughts on the siting of these?
thanks in advance
LLL

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 7:52 pm**

Hi Tony, You're right about not plonking it in the middle of the garden a pergola rarely looks good without a wall or large hedge and planting to set it off. A good trick with wide shallow gardens is to build everything at 45deg so the paving and pergola etc intersect in a series of triangles. Nothing should run parallel to the boundaries or the house that way your eye is drawn across the garden to the corners and it appears deeper. Also the borders between beds and lawn shouldn't be straight lines but a continous or series of curves. If you want I could scan and email a few drawings of similar shaped gardens I've done although my filing for old plans isn't great so I could be a task finding the right ones.

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 8:51 pm**

Got any pics paul I like the sound of that ... LLL are they asking for a patio or the full monty!

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 8:59 pm**

you sound on the money there paul
really i need to survey the garden and scan the drawing
i would love any ideas as it is indeed a funny shape of a garden,the house was built on a large plot that was adjacent to someones house,they then bought half of someone's garden that runs perpendicular to their own
I'll measure it up fri?sat and post it
like the 45 idea
thanks LLL

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 9:01 pm**

Have any photos or plans showing the clients garden layout?

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 9:15 pm**

Or swirly wavy pathways left to right leading to and through the Pergola to a "hidden" area of the garden, mimicked at the other side with tall plantings? Can give the impression of depth where there is not. Did one similar a while back, put a massive big perspex mirror at the back end of the timberwork. Hid the shed quite nicely that was behind said Pergola, garden looked huge.
Never took any pics of that one.
T*sser

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 9:20 pm**

Ignore me I am talking b*llocks, have been doing a charity job today, cheapest days work ever, and one of the hardest too. Goal net bags shelving in a 20ft container with no working space and ****ing down outside.The things we do.
I should have read the OP properly, I was thinking long and narrow, not t'other way round.

Taxi!

Posted: **Fri May 27, 2011 2:05 pm**

just walked past a big house with a wide drive ,thats short in length . its been done in indian stone laid at 45 degrees . your right in what you say pablo . makes it look a lot bigger on the eye than it actually is

Posted: **Fri May 27, 2011 5:06 pm**

I think a pergola in the middle of the garden would work really well. You could plant around the pergola and use some rockery stone or boulders to make the feature sprawl into the garden beyond the boundaries of the pergola. It could form a cracking garden feature, or I have I been watching to much TV ?

Posted: **Fri May 27, 2011 5:59 pm**

They can look good in the middle of the garden, it just depends on what the client already has in their garden, budget and what they plan on doing with the pergola ie: is it to separate sections of the garden, is it going to form a walkway or is it going to be used as a seating area. Then need to factor in how much sun it gets, which way it is going to face, best climbers to grow etc

Posted: **Fri May 27, 2011 8:35 pm**

London Stone Paving wrote:I think a pergola in the middle of the garden would work really well. You could plant around the pergola and use some rockery stone or boulders to make the feature sprawl into the garden beyond the boundaries of the pergola. It could form a cracking garden feature, or I have I been watching to much TV ?

nope you've been hanging around your grans to much :laugh:

Posted: **Fri May 27, 2011 9:09 pm**

My impression of a Pergola is as Pablo says, up against a windbreak, so the idea of trailing vines up and over it works well as a shade on a nice sunny day as you get protection from both the inclement weather and from the sun. Bit of a late afternoon/sun over the yard arm area to sip a couple of bottles of ChÃ¢teau Nerf Du Pape IMHO

Posted: **Sat May 28, 2011 1:32 am**

I built this on Tuesday, yes I've got decking but it came with the house lol intend to stick hot tub under it. Need another trellis panel.

And then build the planters for the creepers, want a good green covering with flowers. So clematis something like that?

We should have a design idea thread, enjoyed some of the gardens at Chelsea

Like to see the plans also pablo

Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1306542912

Posted: **Sat May 28, 2011 6:56 am**

A Pergola can, built right, look good in a central position, but as said, it needs to be in relation to other features in the Garden. If it's being used as a seating area, it can be a bit exposed, but if it's built as more of a covered walkway, leading you to another site in the Garden then it can really work. I always go fro subtle with structures, they can dominate a whole Garden if not sited right.