Just the word “gazebo” can sweep your thoughts away to days gone by, to visions of resting in the shade amid the charm of a Victorian garden. They were often used as a stopping place during moonlit strolls as well as a comfortable place to enjoy an afternoon tea. While today’s lifestyle may have changed somewhat, our desires to have a secluded nature spot close at hand haven’t. And if your yard provides sufficient space, a gazebo could become the focal point of your landscape, as well as a favorite spot to escape to.
Gazebos are available from prebuilt structures delivered and set in place to kits to custom-designed buildings. Depending on your intended use (and budget) you can have them screened as well as electrified. Some have full shingled roofs, others are covered with cedar planks, and still more are roofed with a more open material such as lattice.
Whatever the architectural feel you’re going for, there is a gazebo appropriate for your taste as well as your landscape. You can go the traditional route and include scalloped shingles and a cupola, or simply top it off with a weather vane such as the one in this photo. You can even construct a rustic gazebo out of tree branches or driftwood.
One of the most common uses for gazebos today is to place one on a patio. Gazebos provide more protection from sun and rain than do market umbrellas or canvas awnings, and they expand your entertaining and relaxing options outdoors. And gazebos are a permanent structure, so you don’t have to take them down in the winter. Gazebos work well in similar fashion on large decks. You may want to consider constructing a gazebo at one end to provide an inviting, secluded nook to relax and read in the shade while enjoying the outdoors. And placing one beside a pool provides a great place to cool off out of the sun.
If you’re considering adding a gazebo or other outdoor living area such as a deck, patio, or pergola but you’re not sure what would work best for your landscape, call our designers today – we love helping bring landscape visions to life!
