With all the wonderful choices in outdoor structures, it can be hard to decide which ones will enhance your yard and garden. With this in mind, let's explore the different types of outdoor garden structures, where they might be placed and for what purpose. This way you can look at your families activity and decide what will work best for all of you.



Trellises are an inexpensive way to give your yard and garden that little something without breaking the bank. They can be used all over your yard and garden and coupled with some nice climbing plants with blooms or vines, they make wonderful focal points. Since they come in so many shapes and sizes you should be able to find great trellises for any situation.

You can also use arbors with lattice or decorative sides as a trellis. Arbors allow you to create an entrance or archway into a special area of the yard or into the yard itself. Arbors are very popular as entrances into gardens and are used throughout gardens to create sitting or viewing areas. Arbors can make beautiful stand alone areas in your yard with the right climbing vine such as the climbing rose.

This next structure has an almost meditative feel that cannot be explained. It's been said that since it lets in nature and the suns rays, the pergola allows you to commune with nature while you are eating or just having fun with family and friends. Of course, sitting in silence and just enjoying your life is another way to experience nature under a pergola. It will provide you with partial shade and, if you choose, can be filled with climbing vines and plants that will fill the slats with a canopy of sorts to create even more shade.

One of the largest outdoor structures that are really fun is the gazebo. Gazebos are natural gathering places and can be used anywhere in the yard where you want people to be able to congregate and have a good time. They can be easily used beside a swimming pool or out in the yard all by itself. They are beautiful and always ready for a party or private dinner and are very versatile.

A couple of other structures that get overlooked at times are raised beds and bridges. Raised beds can be used to create stand alone flowerbeds anywhere in the yard. There is no digging required and they're easy to put together and use. Bridges are for those special places that have a water feature or low spot in the yard. They can really make an uninteresting landscape interesting.