Is that a Pergola, an Arbour, a Gazebo?

Have you been at a garden show or visiting a beautiful property and stood there wondering “Is that a pergola or an arbour? Or a gazebo?” And not been sure of the differences, and how relevant they are? Perhaps you want to add one of these garden structures to create a shady seating area but your searches seem to be offering you more choices than you need.

There’s a lot of confusion out there.

But I am (hopefully) here to help you in one article to save you the bother of having multiple tabs open and flitting between them.

What are the different garden structures?

A few definitions, examples of uses and brief history of the more relevant ones for most of us. But just for interest, lets start with a list of (most of) the structures you might find in a garden. This excludes larger or more niche garden buildings such as towers and icehouses, and those which are not primarily for sitting in, such as garages. I have included some of historical interest though, as that will help with the “is that a pergola” question, as you’ll see.

alcove
arbour
arcade
arch
Bengal cottage, Danish hut, etc
berceau
bower
cabinet
casina, casino
casita
colonnade
cloister
folly
gazebo
gloriette
kiosk
loggia
pavilion
pergola
ramada
rotunda, rotundo
shadow house
summer house
tabernacle
tea house
T’ing
tonnelle
tunnel arbour
Turkish tent

There are nearly 30 items there and we’ll look at the ones you’re most likely to need to know about first, in alphabetical order. Then you have the option of reading more or skipping down to the related blogs for further gardening inspiration.

Arbour

Although there are other uses for this term, here it describes a seat which is shaded by trees or climbing plants. It may also be set into a recess in a hedge. However the seat may only be a part of the construction, as wrought iron arbours have famously been set in these garden locations. They were particularly popular in the 18th century and often copied earlier wooden Tudor treillage arbours, which were highly decorative.

But the main elements for an arbour are that it should be quiet and secluded and surrounded by plants. The view may be of a herb garden, a still pool, or even a stunning vista, but the aim is meditative, unlike a gazebo.

garden arbour with integral bench, original photo by stevenson21

arbour with herb seat, rustic trellis, creeping thyme, chamomile flowers, honeysuckle

garden arch with seats, arbour, pergola, climbing scented jasmine

Gazebo

The origin of the word gazebo (plural gazeboes) is unknown but is thought to be derived from the phrase ‘ to gaze about’. It should be open sided to allow for gazing about, but with a roof, partially or fully covering the structure to give shade or shelter from a sudden downpour. Modern versions are often built in a gothic style, harking back to the romantic gardens of the eighteenth century. These gazeboes are metal or wood, but stone and brick were used historically. Hexagonal gazeboes can sometimes be found in corners of a walled garden, often with a tiles or thatched roof and open sides.

It is often used as interchangeable with the term belvedere. This one derives from the Italian Renaissance and is generally an open structure where you sit and admire an unspoilt vista. My thought is that whilst a belvedere is most definitely for panoramic views (that you probably own most if not all of) a gazebo will lend itself to a more contained view, so long as it is worthy of contemplation.

gazebo, tiled roof, photo by annie-spratt

vintage gazebo, Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash

Kiosk

No, not a garden structure from which to sell your homemade ice-creams! In garden architectural terms, a kiosk is another name used for a pavilion. It is derived from the Turkish word ‘kuskh’ which means palace. Which rather puts the park kiosk in a different light, don’t you think?

Loggia

In its original Italian usage, a loggia is an open-sided room attached to a house facing northerly, in order to gather cool air and disperse this through the house. Until recently not something we often needed in the British Isles!

The description continues: the loggia should be roofed and have one of the longitudinal sides as part of the house structure. The two shorter ends also commonly form part of the house, but this is not as prescriptive, as long as the loggia is obviously part of the house (even if added later).

Having given the above definition, I should also add that another form of loggia is an arcade where one or both of the long sides are open. These are more usually found in the gardens of stately homes where they are positioned as viewing points, or as a focal point in themselves.

My grandparents’ Arts & Crafts house had a loggia, filled with comfy wicker and Lloyd loom chairs, a bed for the dog and a toy box for grandchildren. It was a pleasant place to sit and was used almost on a daily basis.

Pavilion

This is not the cricket pavilion type of building. Think instead of a large and luxurious tent with the sides able to be draped back or let fall to enclose the space and occupants. As a descriptive term it’s use has changed over the years from tents for Medieval kings and queens to include more solid buildings as well as those made of canvas and silk.

Garden buildings that have specific uses and names, such as gloriette, may also be referred to as a pavilion. But for our smaller gardens, a comfortable tent large enough to easily entertain guests, with sides that can be let down if it’s raining, or softly draped up to allow gentle movement in a warm summer breeze, sounds perfect.

garden tent, pavilion, original photo by user9637786_380 getty images

garden pavilion, original photo by jupiterimages

Is that a Pergola?

And now we’ve reached our original question. Interestingly, the word pergola originally comes from the Latin, ‘pergula’ meaning shed. But then some sheds are open sided, think of a wood shed, for example.

These days a pergola is most often a wooden, sometimes metal, open structure, simply made of uprights with cross timbers along the top. It may be freestanding, in a corner or even attached to the house wall.

Which is where some of the confusion comes in. At what point is the pergola an arbour in the corner of two walls, a loggia next to the house, or a tunnel arbour / tunnel pergola leading you to the kitchen garden?

And then there’s the question of whether it should be unadorned, a thing of beauty in its own right, or whether it should be primarily a support for climbing plants. Or whether it can accommodate both.

Perhaps a useful way to decide is to consider the question “Is that a pergola?” in the light of the following options: –

is it a simply constructed garden structure, ie not ornate
can you walk through it to get to another destination
does it offer support for plants
can it provide a seating or dining area
is it freestanding
are not more than two sides supported by the garden fence or house wall

Let’s look at #2. For example, a structure that rests against a house wall, with climbers growing up it, has outdoor seating but is also the main thoroughfare from a principal room in the house into the garden sounds like a pergola to me. It’s the ability for a pergola to be both a final destination and a thoroughfare that distinguishes it from the other garden structures.

garden full of flowering plants, garden design, planting design,garden project, pergola, decking, artificial lawn, ornamental edible gardens,

metal table and chairs on terrace with pergola, terraotta pots, container planting

Summer house

I’ve included this here as although nowadays its normally a fully-fledged building with electricity, heating and more, that wasn’t always the case. The term probably derived from ‘shaded house’ which was a open structure at the end of a walk, that offered shade from the summer sun. n that sense it was similar to a pergola.

Another variation of a summerhouse tracks the sun to its open face so those sitting inside can enjoy the warmth on their faces. Although strictly speaking, rotating summerhouses are turned by a mechanism which is worked manually or nowadays by electricity. These revolving summerhouses were very popular with the Victorians and in the early twentieth century. The same principle could of course be applied to a free standing gazebo or pergola.

Tunnel Arbour

Known as a tunnel arbour or tunnel pergola, this structure is a walkway through and under climbing plants. In the Early Middle Ages when the weather was generally warmer, it provided a shady route from one part of the garden to the other. Grapevines were among the plants grown on these garden structures as was woodbine, aka honeysuckle.

Yes, but is that a Pergola too?

And just on case you’re interested in some pergola look-a-likes, I’ve picked out a couple of contenders from our list at the top.

Bower

Less like a pergola and more like an arbour, really, due to the secluded aspect. But as corner, or triangular, pergolas are available there is a potential cross-over. However, one of our criteria for a pergola was that it should provide both a passageway through and a seating area, and a bower is a place you go to not through. it may also be referred to as a cabinet (French term).

Ramada

This is a rectangular or squarely built freestanding structure with a solid roof and open sides. It’s a gazebo that isn’t octagonal, hexagonal or round, and tends to be chunkier in build. And yes, it’s like a pergola in shape and for where you’d use it, but the solid roof makes it different.

and finally

Hopefully, I’ve answered your question “is that a pergola?” and helped you through the mysteries of garden structures. If you’d like help re-designing all or part of your garden to include the best garden structures for your needs – as well as planting and hard landscaping, do get in touch to ask about our design and consultancy services. We also offer bespoke Gardening Lessons and Courses (there’s a pdf info download link below)

For further gardening advice and inspiration, ideas for edible gardens and more, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet You could come and find us on Instagram – @plewsgd Pinterest and Facebook too.

And on that note, you can have a peek at my (new, overgrown) garden at Spitfires and Slow Worms on Instagram & Facebook