The most commonly found
gazebo designs resemble Victorian style
structures; these are generally built from wood
that can be left natural or painted white
typically. This type of style is still popular
in both public and private gardens. Kits can
readily be found at home improvement and garden
centers. Of course, an enterprising builder can
even design a plan to perfectly suit the
setting. Victorian style gazebos may be simple
affairs with floor, railings and roofs or highly
ornate with built-in benches, stairs and ramps.
These designs are generally open-air structures
but it is possible to incorporate screens for
those areas with significant mosquito
populations.
Many Victorian style
gazebos also feature climbing plants. For
example, the gazebo's base may be constructed
with lattice-work which is the perfect support
for English ivy or climbing roses. When settled
within the garden, this becomes the perfect
backdrop for any setting. For a romantic and
secluded arrangement, consider installing tall
trellises around the gazebo and hang baskets of
flowers from hooks along the gazebo's rim. This
style is perfectly adapted to formal English
style gardens or rustic country landscapes.
For Oriental gardens,
consider outfitting your yard with a
pagoda-style gazebo. The wood could be left
natural or painted black and red and then
heavily lacquered for dramatic effect. There are
many Oriental garden ornaments and plants to
select to surround your gazebo for an overall
great effect. Consider suspending hanging
lanterns around the open sections of the
pavilion or installing a small garden pond
nearby filled with Chinese goldfish.
A strictly formal garden
can always incorporate a Victorian style gazebo,
but consider one made from brick or even stone.
Such construction materials will be more costly,
but they will also endure the elements quite
well and add a stately charm to any formal
estate. These gazebos could even be fitted with
windows to enjoy the outdoors behind glass in
cold or stormy weather. This style could be
built right off the house or set somewhere in
the landscape overlooking a ridge perhaps or a
stream.
Some gardeners prefer a
very understated or minimalist approach when it
comes to style and a gazebo need not be an
ornate or overstated structure to work well. A
rustic square style with four posts, a floor and
a roof can provide all that is necessary to
enjoy the outdoors. Such gazebos are perfect
places for outdoor entertaining. A simple set of
tables and chairs along with a few lovely
containers for plants and you've created a
wonderful outdoor room.
Finally, whatever design
you choose, you can adapt it to fit in any
location in your garden. A large plot of land
can certainly benefit from a large pavilion
style gazebo. But even a courtyard garden can
employ a small gazebo in a corner of the space
for those romantic candle-lit suppers in the
garden. Consider hanging candelabra from the
gazebo's ceiling for enjoying the garden at
night.
Whatever your style, you
can choose a gazebo to match it or make simple
changes in kit designs to suit your needs. A
gazebo offers gardeners a place to relax and
enjoy the landscape they work so hard to
maintain. It also is a spectacular feature for
outdoor entertaining during the growing season.
Whether built as a focal point or hidden as a
surprise feature deep within a garden, a gazebo
is an attractive feature for every garden.
