Estate Living Magazine The Slow Movement - Issue 39 March 2019 | Page 44

C O M M U N I T Y
Ideal as links between different areas of your
garden, for creating seclusion, for shading an
inviting braai area, or for cooling a hotspot that
might otherwise have been an uncomfortable,
barren corner, pergolas are perfect for adding
interest and usefulness to almost any garden,
regardless of size. And, since they’re usually less
imposing than solid objects like walls or fences,
they’re less likely to make your limited space
seem cluttered.
If you’re planning a pergola, it’s usually a good
idea to begin by deciding what it’s going to
support: a lightweight, retractable, horizontal
canvas awning probably won’t need as much
engineering as a heavy flowering creeper,
L I V I N G
say, or a hanging hammock for your life-saving
Sunday siestas.
Pay special attention to the passage of the sun
through your garden – Where’s it hottest in
summer? Where’s it absent in winter? – and to
the way you and anyone else using the garden
are likely to move through it.
Think about it: who can resist an interesting and
inviting path that leads to who-knows-where?
Especially one that’s covered and cool?
Let’s make it our own
Although we usually associate them with plants,
not every pergola is covered with creepers, of