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You’ve probably seen them in those romantic costume dramas, the rose covered pergola at the end of the garden, a beautiful arch to frame the view beyond. If you hanker after one for your own garden, you need to make a few decisions before you rush off to spend your hard earned cash.
The best types are metal pergolas for their weather resistance and flexibility of shape for training plants round. Metal is usually powder coated and can be steel, aluminum or wrought iron, the latter can be quite expensive but lasts the longest. However there are a huge variety of designs and therefore costs and you need to shop around. Beware buying a very flimsy metal pergola, heavy plants will pull it down!
Choice of metal pergolas
Firstly, identify where you want your pergola to go and how big you want it to be. If you long for a rose walkway, there are metal pergolas out there that are 16 feet long and 12 feet high; this is one major piece of garden construction! Made from resin covered aluminum, they will set you back around $5,000. At the other end of the scale are simple steel arches for around $100. Pergolas come in a variety of shapes, from basic arches, to benches with integral arches, to gazebo or pavilion style with intricate designs and ornately crafted scrollwork. Some metal pergolas hark back to English country garden style whilst others are sleekly modern it will depend on your taste and budget among other factors.
Build your own pergola
If you are a dab hand with a screwdriver, but not so good with welding tools, then a metal pergola kit may be an option. This isn’t quite building your own from scratch, but is more about assembling one to somebody else’s plans, a reasonable compromise. The kits come in two or three pieces with fixings and you will need your own tools. Where this works particularly well is with modular sections; you have to bolt them together but you can then create that rose walkway you promised yourself at a fraction of the cost. You will need to concrete one end into the ground for stability but with some imagination you can build yourself a beautiful tunnel of intricate steel to frame a favorite spot in the garden. Having built your metal pergola, all you need now are the plants! This could prove to be a fun project if one can set their mind to it.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about garden furniture and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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