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Position your pergola

Pergolas are ideally suited for linking different parts of the garden, providing secluded areas and creating summer shade. Their open aspect makes them particularly suitable for adding interest to smaller gardens, where more solid shapes, such as walls or fences, would make the limited space feel cluttered.

Materials to use

Wood - this is the most common material used for pergolas. The most popular type used in the UK is softwood that has been pressure treated with a suitable preservative. Hardwood has natural durability and doesn't require pressure treatment.

Brick/stone - generally more expensive than using wood, but will take more weight. If the outside of your house has exposed brick or stone, choose the same type of material for the pergola's uprights. Wooden cross members can then be attached to the uprights to form the 'roof'.

Metal - metal pergola frames are available from specialist manufacturers. They come in kits that can be bolted together and designs can be made to measure.

What to do

Time needed

2 half-days for a simple pergola, with 2 days break for concrete setting

You will need

• wooden posts, 85mm x 85mm x 3m (3.3in x 3.3in x 9.8ft)
• wooden cross members, 33mm x 33mm x 1.8m (1.3in x 1.3in x 5.9ft)
• wooden beams, 45mm x 95mm x 3m (1.7in x 3.7in x 9.8ft)
• bolts to support the frame
• stainless steel screws, countersunk
• ballast and cement

Preparation

• Select the site for your pergola carefully. Think about the function and take time to view the site from each overlooking window of the house before deciding on the final position. Pergola's are particularly effective at joining two different parts of the garden; for example, the vegetable plot and the lawn. Or perhaps you want to create a shady seating area or to frame a walkway with climbers?
• Clear all the vegetation in the location of the pergola or, if being sited on a patio, remove the paving where the uprights will be. Level the site if the ground is uneven.
• Measure the area of ground where the pergola is to be situated. Identify where the posts will be and mark their exact positions.
• Ensure these are arranged so they're square with each another. As a general rule, a pergola should be supported by posts every 1.8m (6ft). This distance should be reduced if it will support heavy loads.

Build a pergola

• Dig holes for all posts; these should be 30cm x 30cm (1ft x 1ft) wide and 60cm (2ft) deep.
• Prop a post upright in one of the holes, then do the same for its neighbour.
• Put a cross member on top of these two posts, then place a spirit level on top to check they're level; if they're not, infill or backfill the holes as necessary until they are.
• Repeat this with the remaining uprights until all are level. Nail lengths of scrap batten on the posts so each one stands unassisted.
• Mix a fairly stiff mixture of concrete, using just enough water to bind the ingredients together. Ask a friend to hold the post steady as the concrete is poured into the hole.
• Compact the mixture around the post with a piece of wood, taking care not to move the post from its position.
• Make sure that the post is level using a plumb line. Repeat these procedures with the remaining posts.
• Leave the pillars propped in position by the spare batten for two days to allow the concrete to fully harden
• As long as the pillars have been positioned correctly, building the framework should be straightforward. The sides of the pergola should be joined to the posts with halving joints cut at the end of each cross member. Bolt these into position and continue for the remaining cross members.
• With the aid of a friend, fasten the beams across the roof of the pergola, attaching them by mortice joints screwed to an upright at either end.
• Paint the pergola with a coloured stain if required and coat with clear water repellent.
• Add plant supports eg wires. These should be fixed securely to withstand the weight of the plants.

Plants to try

• Actinidia deliciosa 'Hayward'
• Akebia quinata
• Clematis armandii
• Lonicera japonica 'Halliana'
• Rosa 'Albertine'
• Passiflora caerulea
• Trachelospermum jasminoides
• Vitis coignetiae
• V. vinifera 'Purpurea'