Pergola, Arbor, or Trellis: Which one does your yard need?

Half the inquiries we get start with "I think I want a pergola, but I'm not sure that's the word." The other half describe something perfectly and then apologize for not knowing what it's called.

Nobody needs to know the vocabulary. But it helps to know what each one is for, because the names describe different jobs.

Arbor

An arbor is something you walk through. Two sides, a top, usually four to six feet wide, often with a gate hung in it. Arched or flat on top, sometimes with lattice sides for climbing plants.

It's for: marking an entrance. The transition from the driveway to the backyard, from the lawn into the garden, from the path to the front door. It says "this is where the garden starts," and it's usually the first thing people notice about a yard.

Pick an arbor if: you have a gap in a fence or hedge that feels unfinished, or a path that just sort of begins with nothing to announce it.

Pergola

A pergola is something you sit under. Four or more posts holding up an open roof of beams and rafters, sized to cover a patio, deck, or section of path. No solid roof; the rafters throw a pattern of shade that moves through the day.

It's for: making an outdoor room. A pergola over a patio turns it from a slab with chairs on it into a place you'd actually eat dinner. Add a climbing vine and it gets shadier every year.

Pick a pergola if: you have a patio or deck that's too hot to use in July, or a big open backyard that has nowhere to be.

Trellis

A trellis is something plants climb. A flat panel of lattice or slats, mounted to a wall, fence, or set of posts. No roof, nothing to walk through.

It's for: giving a climber somewhere to go, and covering something you'd rather not look at. A trellis against a blank garage wall with a clematis on it changes the whole side of the house. A freestanding one screens the neighbor's shed or the bins.

Pick a trellis if: you have a plant that needs support, a wall that needs softening, or a view that needs hiding.

The ones in between

Pergola with a gate? That's an arbor that grew. We build wide arbors that are really short pergolas over a path.

Arbor with a bench? Common and worth it. A seat under an arbor at the end of a garden path is the best fifty square feet in most yards.

Trellis with a top? Once it has a roof, you're into arbor territory.

If you're not sure, don't worry about the word. Tell us what you want the thing to do: shade a table, mark a path, hold up a rose, hide the compost. We'll figure out what it's called. Start a project.